Patterns of Warmth, 8 - Connections
by Irene Claire
Summary: A new contribution to this series with a somewhat 'loose' ending. C.J.'s birth father comes back for his son - and not for good reasons. He wants payback & is willing to do anything to get the boy. Along the way, Steve and Danny realize a few things about their current status ... enter the loose ending to this particular story in the series. The bunny does have a plan though ...
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_Patterns of Warmth - some evils are necessary to get to the place you should have been all along._

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

He was on the swing-set during recess when he saw _him_. It was such a surprise, at first C.J. wasn't sure though. On the opposite side of the street. On the other side of the tall school fence, C.J. didn't think it could be _that_ man. But when _he_ smiled and then lifted his hand to wave to him, C.J. knew. He stopped pumping his legs and slowed the swing down by dragging the toes of his blue sneakers in the hard-packed dirt rut until he stopped moving altogether.

Eyes riveted to the man's face, C.J. began to tremble. He wanted to run but he couldn't move. He wanted to tell his teacher that someone bad was too close. But his hands wouldn't work.

C.J.'s tears welled up as the man waved to him again. He _waved_ and then pointed his finger at C.J. before tapping his hand twice to his chest. It was clearly a finger sign which scared C.J. so badly that it finally got him moving. He stood up from the swing, still staring through the fence and across the street. He clearly saw the man laugh as he pointed to C.J. again, once more tapping his chest twice.

That man had never liked it when C.J. tried to talk with his hands. He would slap at his fingers, sometimes pinch him hard, or laugh at him other times. He would never - _ever_ \- use sign language at all to say anything to C.J. Not ever. But that man did now. and C.J. didn't know what to think as the man did it for a third time, bursting out into laughter when C.J. shook his head.

_'No._' It wasn't true. The man only laughed harder while pointing at him.

C.J. knew that mean look and knew that the man was making fun of him. His chin trembled and a tear rolled down his cheek. Suddenly the man wasn't laughing any more. His face looked mad now. It was the bad face that he would make before hitting his mommy or punching a wall ... or sometimes, even hitting C.J.

_'You.'_ The man pointed to him again. His eyes were mad as he stood even taller before tapping his chest twice. Firmly. Making those two taps as a big, big motion.

_'Mine.'_

'_No_,' C.J. shook his head again and again. _'No!'_ It wasn't true! He backed up towards the school. _'No!_' He managed to sign the word even though his hands were shaking. He turned and ran then not waiting to see what the man would do. Sobbing hard, C.J. ran to the safety of the school.

He bolted up the steps, stopping only when his teacher grabbed his arm. She made fast signs - her face saying how worried she was for him - asking him with her hands what was wrong and wanting to help. He tried to tell her through his tears but he was too afraid. When he failed at making the right words, he pulled and struggled to get away from her so he could hide. But she only swung him up into her arms, holding him tight, rubbing his back soothingly.

He wanted Danno and Daddy. He wanted to go home.

Frightened by what had happened and not knowing what to do, C.J. cried and cried. As his teacher carried him quickly into the school, he hid his face in her shoulder. He stopped fighting and wrapped his arms around her neck. Danno and Daddy said _he_ would never come back. Aunt Emily had promised that _he_ would never ever come back ever again.

But all of them had been wrong.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	2. Chapter2

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_So glad you're joining me on this AU romp! I'm going to try to move things fast so it's not a mammoth of a story. (haha) My thanks to Phoebe for always being there to help and share ideas!_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

_"Detective Williams? This is Principal Fontaine. I need one or both of you to come to the school please. It's your son, C.J. He's very upset. We can't seem to calm him down."_

Danny had started moving the moment he'd recognized the telephone number from Charlie and C.J.'s elementary school administrative office. He was jogging down the hall from his office to Steve's as soon as Fontaine had gotten '_I need'_ out of her mouth. Case work abandoned on his computer, all he focused on was the woman's voice. There was something about her tone that had instantly gut-punched him in the stomach. Her cool demeanor spelled trouble. She was curt. Quick. She was professionally concerned for his son. On a typical day, the woman was forever welcoming. Her usual preamble to any conversation - until that moment - had been a casual chit-chat about the weather or how to corral active little boys. She'd never been this abrupt. Her voice had never lacked its warm smile.

So he could sense all of that just in those first few sentences. As she spoke, he rapped his knuckles loudly on the glass to Steve's office door and motioned to the cell phone he was holding to his ear. But when Steve held up a finger, because he too was on a call, Danny used a family skill which he and his partner had acquired with an incredible ease.

_'It's the school ...about C.J.'_ Danny finger-signed quickly through the window. _'We need to go. Now.'_

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he knew his own expression must have been communicating his own level of unease. He should have tried harder to cover that up when Steve's eyes widened and he visibly began to stumble over his words to whomever he was speaking to. If anything could adversely affect the ex-SEAL's composure, it would be something pertaining to any of the kids; but especially to the newest little member of their family.

"What?" Danny's attention refocused on what Fontaine was saying. "Recess? He panicked?"

_"Yes during recess ... he literally panicked ... Mrs. Iona can't get a clear read on what the issue is. He's still very very upset ... he's only clearly asked for his brother."_

"Charlie?" Danny asked in confusion. Wincing when Steve read his lips and now was now diving for his office door. On the way, he slammed his hip into the corner of his desk but barely seemed to notice. He was never going to get used to seeing the flash of raw emotion in his partner's face as Steve practically fell into him as he ended his conversation in a rush.

_"We didn't think it wise to get Charlie out of his class just yet. C.J. is so visibly distraught, we were afraid that he'd frighten Charlie, too."_

"What's wrong with the boys?" Steve blurted out as he descended on Danny. "C.J.?"

"We'll be right there. We'll get Charlie once we get there, okay? Tell C.J. that we're on our way and we'll be there in five minutes ... five," Danny said as he grabbed Steve's arm and pocketed his phone. "That was Principal Fontaine. It's C.J. Something set him off during recess and they can't seem to calm him down. He wants ... Charlie ... he seems to be worried about Charlie for some reason."

Steve's confused look said it all as they charged out of the Palace. For once Danny didn't argue Steve's driving. In fact, he encouraged the use of lights and sirens until they got within school limits. Taking the steps two at a time, they strode into the administrative offices as one where C.J.'s teacher, the school nurse and the principal were speaking quietly together.

"Thank goodness you're here," Principal Fontaine said. "He's so upset. He's only had a sip of water but isn't really able to explain anything." She gestured to the small sofa along the far wall of her office. C.J. was curled up on the sofa and apparently refusing to talk to anyone.

"We don't understand what happened ... what he saw or ..."

"Or, maybe who he saw," Danny finished Principal Fontaine's sentence. Immediately on edge about the boy's state. "Steve?"

""C.J.?" Steve whispered his son's name shocked by how badly the boy was shaking. "Hey little man. What's wrong? Danny? Who the hell would scare him this much? Hey buddy ...," At a loss, he just about crashed to his knees as C.J. wrapped himself around him like a second skin, overheated from sobbing. Steve bent his head trying to get the boy's attention upset he saw the small face so riddled by tears and sweat.

"What happened?" Steve signed and crooned softly. He paused to gently comb his fingers through C.J.'s damp hair and then slowly signed his question again. "Tell me and Danno ... what happened?"

Through his tears, C.J. fanned out the fingers of his right hand. Shaking badly, he put his fingers against his lips. Then he moved his hand down and away with his palm facing downward.

"Bad?" Steve interpreted in confusion. "_Bad_ what?"

But C.J. wasn't done. With the same hand, he made the sign for _daddy_. A sign reserved for Steve alone ... except both he and Danny knew exactly what the child meant when the two words were slung together as a moniker.

"No way. That's impossible," Steve whispered as he ran his fingers through C.J.'s matted hair again. "He's not here, buddy." But the boy's face said otherwise, colorless except for the blotchy redness from crying, C.J. only grappled for Steve's shoulders, pulling himself tight into Steve's arms.

"Bad daddy," Danny bit back a curse as he stared dumbfounded at Steve. "It has to be a mistake. It has to be. There's no way; no way at all."

"Bad daddy? What does that mean?" The Principal asked. "I don't understand ... does he mean one of you?"

"No, he doesn't mean one of us," Steve replied as he got to his feet with his son tucked to his chest. Worry was fast becoming anger and he was struggling to control his temper.

"Danny, let's get Charlie ... and then we need to make a few calls to be sure. We _have_ to be sure. I don't think C.J. would ever make a mistake like this; not this. I want both boys at home. Together."

"But what is it?" C.J.'s teacher asked. "What does he mean?"

"It's complicated," Danny said. Catching Steve's worry, he turned to Fontaine. "Please send someone to get my son. Has anyone been on school grounds? Has there been any reports of anyone lurking or making threats?"

"No, of course not!" Fontaine said. Clearly alarmed, she was adamant about her protocol if something like that might happen. "We have security and certain lockdown procedures. We would have contacted the authorities right way; even the parents. The safety of our children is paramount! I don't understand ... can you please explain what's going on?"

"We have a family emergency and maybe even something more if C.J. is right about who he might have seen," Danny explained before making a decision to share more information. "If C.J.'s right ... his birth father is here on the island. And if he is here, then he escaped custody and he's here for one reason and one reason only."

"His birth father?" The woman made a face and then quieted down, absorbing some of the implications. "I'll get Charlie myself. And anything else you need ... anything at all."

"Do you think he's here?" Steve said as Danny wrapped his arms around him and C.J. for a quick, comforting hug. "I don't see how ... C.J. probably thought he saw him. Maybe someone who just happened to look like him." He waited as Danny gently wiped the tears from C.J.'s cheek, softly promising the boy that everything was going to be all right.

"Well, let's see," Danny said. He took C.J.'s hand and spoke slowly, using his free hand to ask a simple question. "Where? Where was he?"

Bottom lip trembling, C.J. pointed towards the school's playground and then signed the word for '_street_', followed by the word for '_sidewalk_'. The finger signs were similar enough for Danny to get the gist of the description.

"And you're sure?" Danny asked, feeling sick at heart when C.J.'s bottom lip began to tremble all over again and he nodded, very adamantly.

"Danny...," Steve warned him unnecessarily as C.J. began to pull at his tee shirt when more tears welled up in his eyes. He tucked his son's head to his shoulder, eyes flashing in anger and making every attempt to control the timbre of his voice. "If he's here, I swear to God ... this is not going to end well."

"I know. Calm down," Danny hissed back. He was also starting to ride a dangerous, angry edge too and they both needed to remain calm for both Charlie and C.J.'s combined sakes. "Let's both of us try to just figure this out, all right?"

Heaving in a big sigh as he tried to settle himself down, Steve squared his shoulders before gently prodding C.J. to look at him. He smiled and gave the boy a gentle bounce in his arms.

"_Shhh_, you're okay and we both believe you," he said. He pointed to Danny and then towards the playground area. "Danno and I need to know _what else_ you saw ... do you remember anything else?"

Danny tapped near his eye when C.J. looked at him. There was zero doubt the boy was scared as his breath hitched and he hiccuped from his crying jag. He put his head against Steve's shoulder and rubbed at his nose. C.J. was shutting down and only looking for safe cuddles which Danny completely understood. But he pressed on, gently tapping the area near his eye and then make the sign for 'more'.

"Did you see more outside?" He asked quietly.

Bottom lip firmly jutted out, C.J. nodded. His breathing wavered but he bravely sat up straighter in his father's arms.

_'Bad Daddy waved to me.'_ He signed and tapped his own chest. '_Waved three times ... and laughed at me.' _With another deep breath, he pointed to himself and made the finger sign for bein_g 'scared'._

Danny blinked in shock.

"He what?" He breathed out, feeling some kind of panic welling inside his own chest. Whomever this man was, he _waved_ and then _laughed_? These were calculated actions and Danny fought hard not to react as that surge of panic morphed into a very real anger. "He waved to you? This man _waved_ to you?"

_'Bad Daddy,' _C.J. signed one final time.

"Son of a bitch," Steve whisper-hissed in fury when C.J. wrapped himself back round his body. His son was trembling and beginning to cry again. "He wouldn't make a mistake like this. Not about Travers." He re-tucked the boy's head back to his chest, now doing a gentle jiggle-bounce as the tears began to flow all over again, soaking his shirt.

"Danny ..."

The threat in Steve's tone was obvious now. Eyes on his partner's face, Danny quietly placed a kiss to the top of the boy's head. "This is good enough for me. C.J. believes it was Travers; in the very least, we have a possible pedophile near the school."

"Street cams; maybe some of the businesses too. Make some calls," Steve demanded next. "I want all of it."

"Of course; Lou will handle it and then ... just a few more calls to make to the mainland," Danny said with a reassuring smile aimed up at C.J. before calmly walking away to speed-dial Lou Grover from his cell phone. He was seething inside and barely able to keep his emotions in check. Emily Gardner had always called Billy Travers a snake, but this?

The criminal was supposed to be firmly in hand, behind bars in a prison in Ohio. Just what the hell was going on?

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_Patterns of Warmth - some evils are necessary to get to the place you should have been all along. I can't thank Phoebe enough - always - for never ending volumes of help! ** hugs **_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Steve scowled in consideration of how Billy Travers might have made it out of prison as he balanced C.J. on his hip. If it were true, he couldn't fathom a guess as to how it could be possible. Emily Gardner kept a circumspect eye on the man's whereabouts; a backup to their official channels. Travers was jailed and not up for parole any time soon. They all had a good long stretch of time before that subject should ever come up - if it did.

"That's my boy," Steve said as C.J. looked up at him from the safety of his shoulder. He was surprised when C.J. sat up a little straighter. He rubbed at his nose, sniffled and then signed a few words.

_'He said that,'_ C.J. signed. He took a deep juddering breath and signed faster, tears again welling in his eyes. He was so fast then, that Steve barely kept up with the words. If not for the general gist of the issue at hand, he might have not gotten it at all.

_'He said I was his ... he said I was his ... and he laughed. I'm not his.'_ C.J. tapped his chest as his chin trembled. Upset and frightened, he shook his head and tapped Steve's chest. With a deep breath, he signed _daddy_ and tapped Steves chest again.

"You bet, little man," Steve sad, blinking back a surge of mixed emotions as another terrible truth came out of this encounter. "You are not his ... or anybody's except ..." Pausing, he thumbed away C.J.'s tears and kissed his forehead.

"Nope, you're mine," Steve said and signed. "You're mine and Danno's ... and Aunt Emily's, too. But not his ... never, ever that man's." Steve kissed C.J.'s forehead then, angered by the whole situation and yet unable to show just how in a fury he was. No one had contacted them of any change in Travers' jail-time, location or situation. Things should be status quo, and yet? C.J. was convinced he'd seen his birth father. In the very least, the little boy was truly upset. Even if whomever had scared C.J. so badly might be some kind of crazy lookalike, he wanted to rip the island apart and take care of the boys simultaneously at home. He knew that Danny felt the same way as his partner paced Principal Fontaine's small administrative office.

On the outside, Danny's apparent calm was impressive, including the smile he had plastered to his face for C.J.'s sake. Steve knew though that Danny was about to implode. Beyond this serene picture he was projecting, Steve clocked the swagger of his hips and tight carriage of his shoulders. The free hand that was flailing thorough air, punctuating each of his demands. If it wasn't for the serious nature of what they were dealing with, Steve would have thought Danny's entire demeanor rather ... attractive.

"You're okay," Steve murmured when C.J. plunked his head wearily back down to his shoulder. "We'll get it all figured out."

To partly calm himself and keep that anger in check, Steve started to trace circles over C.J.'s back. As he soothed him and waited for Charlie to be brought to the office, Steve watched for the clues which proved Danny's continued percolating temper as his partner placed a series of critical phone calls for immediate follow up, not only with Lou Grover to ask the man to formalize an inquiry to the authorities State-side, but also to get camera footage off the street. Once Steve told him this additional tidbit of information though, he was positive that Danny was going to lose whatever calm he was managing to maintain. They were both going to have to fight to keep it together in fact.

"How's it going?" Steve asked Danny when there was a lull in the conversation. Danny had an intent look as he glanced Steve's way. His eyes slid over Steve's, dark and angry, before landing on C.J.'s tear-stained face. He softened the instant C.J looked up and managed to smile.

"Good," Danny nodded. But he was distracted and lost his smile, turning on his heel as he punched in another number. He was tightly focused and getting the job done in record time. By the time, Fontaine returned with a confused Charlie in hand, Danny had also instructed the Principals' assistant to contact school administration to release weeks-worth of additional security footage both inside and outside of the school. A warrant? Not a problem and Steve actually grinned as Danny's hand sliced through the air as he punctuated: _Not. A. Prob-Lem._ Syllable by syllable. If their intruder was Billy Travers or some other unwanted trespasser, it wouldn't take very long to identify the threat.

"Let's go home," Steve said as Charlie looked questioningly first to Danny and then to him.

"Why is he crying? Why are we going home?" Charlie asked as he pointed to C.J who was still hiding his face in Steve's neck. "What happened, Uncle Steve? Why is Danno so mad? Am I in trouble? Did C.J. do something bad?"

The questions came quick and fierce from the soon to be seven-year old. "We'll, talk in the truck. Okay?" Steve said. "Neither of you are in trouble, Charlie. We need to go home for a little while though and sort a few things out."

He smiled a little more, relaxing when Charlie made a silly face, his eyes rolling towards the ceiling. Leave it to Charlie cut the stress and provide some good distraction. He looked a lot like this father then and Steve just had to laugh a bit. C.J. felt the movement and peeked out, signing a fast hello to his brother who signed a fast question back in turn.

_'What's wrong?'_ Charlie asked. And with that, C.J.'s breathing hitched and the tears started up all over again.

"Ah buddy," Steve sighed, sobering quickly as he tucked the little boy even closer. "Don't you worry," he whispered as Danny caught his eye and read the same anger as he was working hard to keep under wraps. "Don't you worry one bit."

**H5O* H5O**

"I don't like that man," Charlie said as he played with his toys in the middle of the living room floor. "He made C.J. sad." His head was down as he interspersed his vocal distaste for a bad man he never had met with rumbling truck sounds.

"I bet he's real mean. But you and Danno will get him good. You will get him good, won't you?"

"Well, first we have to find out what happened. In the meantime, Danno and I need you to keep C.J. company," Steve said as he bent down and planted a kiss on the top of his Charlie's head. "Find a game he likes to play or pick a movie? How about a movie first, Charlie, and I talk Danno into buying us some pizza?"

"Pizza!" Charlie stopped playing and looked up, beaming at the suggestions but focusing on one thing. "Extra cheese!"

"You bet!" Steve said. He turned towards where C.J. had tucked himself onto a chair with his favorite blanket and his ever-present Captain America action figure. He'd chosen a chair that was well away from any windows. It was a blatant enough decision to Steve based on past experience and what the boy's birth father had done to kidnap him the last time.

"Play with Charlie," Steve said and signed with a smile. "We're going to watch a movie and order pizza; like a party." He was disappointed though when C.J. only shrugged. Disinterested and stressed beyond measure, he itched at his nose and snuggled more deeply under his blanket. "I'll be with Danno in the kitchen," Steve said. He pointed to the where Danny was and C.J. followed his line of sight but seemed only interested in knowing where he and Danny were in the house and if he could easily see at least one of them. Things like movies, playing or food were still lost causes.

"If we find out he's here, I'm going to find him and kill him," Steve whispered in Danny's ear as he reluctantly left the boys in the living room. "Can you believe this bastard signed that to C.J.? It has to be him, Danny. Somehow - some way - Travers is here on the island! I don't care what Lou was told by the Warden ... I want proof!"

"We'll get it," Danny said. "Lou is demanding that proof right now. He's demanding video footage, an in-person video conference call - with or without Traver's lawyer. He's already got a court order in hand demanding the right to get copies of any correspondonce and mail Travers might have recently received." Danny stopped to scrub his hands through his hair.

"I don't know, Steve. This just doesn't make sense. And yet? What C.J. says is very calculated. Travers or not, this guy knew sign language. He was stalking C.J ... what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know either but I do know one thing," Steve growled out. "I'm going to wipe the street with the guy once we find out who did this."

"Agreed. But we need to play this cool," Danny said. "Let Lou run with this for an hour or so; he will have an answer tonight. He's as mad as me and you."

Steve nodded because that was definitely true. The older Grover was just as protective as any one of them. With a natural affinity for kids of any age, Lou was a definite favorite honorary uncle of both Charlie and C.J. Their culprit would never survive the inquisition he'd brought down on his head.

"So we have to suck up movie night," Steve said, clearly aggravated. He wasn't sure how he was going to sit quietly while Lou did what he desperately wanted to roll up his sleeves and dive into. Steve nodded as he rubbed both hands down his face. He was exhausted and not happy about being house-bound when he'd rather be out combing the streets for trouble. This balancing act was just about killing him.

"I want to kill whoever this is, Danny. And I have a bad, bad feeling that C.J. is right," he admitted. "This is not going to end well if he touches one hair on that boy's head."

"Easy big guy. I know. So let's just take a deep breath and change the tide, alright? I don't like it either. But having a movie night is a great idea," Danny replied with a smile just for Steve's benefit. "We do a not so quiet and very fun movie night. We don't know anything for sure yet and we need a distraction - me and you, too. So an early movie. Some pizza. He can't see how worried we are; he just needs to know we believe him, we're checking things out with his Uncle Lou, and that we're going to keep him safe."

"You're amazing," Steve marveled as Danny puttered around the kitchen, staying visible and feeling just as angry and anxious as he, yet completely in control. "How the hell are you doing this?" He finally asked him as Danny very calmly ordered pizza for delivery.

"Because I have to and you have to, too," Danny replied after tossing his phone to the counter. "Neither one of us can leave. Thank God for Lou. He's going to bulldoze anyone who stands in the way. But don't think I don't want to kick the doors down and turn over every damned garbage can to find that bastard. And then? Hand his head to him. No one threatens our kids like this. No one, Steve."

Danny's hands were waving through the air again. Punctuating words as his eyes flashed angrily and yet, his tone was so soft. Just loud enough for Steve's ears alone. Steve raised an eyebrow, unable to stop the smile. With a glance over his shoulder towards the boys, he backed Danny up until the small of his back connected with the counter. Leaning forward, he braced his arms on either side of Danny's body, effectively trapping him in place. Instead of getting an argument as he'd half expected, Steve was pleased when Danny wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him in, as close as he could.

With a settling sigh, Danny rested his forehead against Steve's chest. Much like C.J. had done, he wended his arms around Steve's back and just hung on. And just then, in the quiet of the kitchen, that was enough. Steve allowed himself this moment of peace before the storm he sensed was coming, hit their home head-on.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_well a semi-respite. Sorry for the delay, but the muse has been arguing about a slight tactical change. The below chapter being one of them. I hope you all enjoy it. I didn't research anything about proper speech therapy for deaf children. So please forgive any mistakes._

_Thank you Phoebe for helping me have so much fun with my C.J.-AU-Verse! I love sharing my C.J. twiddles with you!_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Lou Grover stared hard at the convict seated behind the penitentiary's young warden. Blood boiling, he had three major issues with the short meeting.

Problem number one was that the warden was not whom he'd expected to see. But apparently Warden Homer Givens had retired just a week earlier. Why no one had contacted Five-0 could not be explained. Number two was that this new young man was just that: young. And in this case, young was coupled with equal amounts of ignorant and wet behind the ears. Worse though? His third and most grievous issue was that the convict seated behind new warden, Thomas Jeffers, was not C.J.'s birth father, Billy Travers.

_"Of course this is Travers,"_ Jeffers stated. Arms folded, stance wide, he looked every bit in command of his new role. But he couldn't have been more wrong. He was so wrong, that Lou burst out laughing. Reeking with sarcasm, Lou stopped laughing to level a hard look at Jeffers who at least at the grace enough to be confused. Raising his finger, Lou pointed it directly at the camera.

"That there man sitting behind you. He sure as hell is not Billy Travers," Lou spat out. "In fact, he could easily pass for someone in my family tree. You get my gist?"

When it was obvious that Jeffers was clueless, Lou shook his head in disgust. Even the convict seated behind the warden, sandwiched between two guards, was starting to laugh. "You're going to find out ... and find out _now_ ... while my Governor is contacting your Governor ... as to how that fine looking black gentleman sitting behind you has managed to masquerade as Billy Travers. Because my young friend, that is a feat unto itself."

As Jeffers mouth gaped open wide as the convict behind him chuckled mockingly, Lou glared back at the younger man.

"You find out how this happened, Jeffers," Lou ground out between clenched teeth. He didn't need to ask where Travers was. Little C.J. had certainly been stalked by his birth father. The felon was incredibly loose and on the island. How it happened would matter later. Lou's concern was that it had happened at all and Travers was there with God knows what on his mind.

_"Captain. I ... I, uh ... will find out,"_ Jeffers was stammering now and Lou could not have cared less. He needed to notify Steve and Danny of the security breach and do so much more to raise the alarm locally. Before he cut the call, Lou only had one thing left to say to the soon-to-be ex-Warden.

"You do that - as if it matters now," Lou said. He shook his head in disgust as he ticked off a mental list of what he needed to do next to from contacting Steve and Danny, on to the Governor and then to the local HPD reinforcements he'd insist be dispatched to Steve's house. But he couldn't hold himself back from another sarcastic comment which really, was more a promise.

"Thanks to your incompetence, we have a security concern unleashed on our island which impacts the safety of a little boy. I don't know what you got on your end and frankly, I don't give a crap except for the part where it affects me and mine. So now? You eat yourself some humble pie, find out who manipulated what to allow a convicted felon to disappear off an entire continent on your watch. But no matter what, hang on tight because you're on your way back to being a kindergarten cop."

_"What? But ... he can't be_ _there_," Jeffers objected, his expression one of blank stupidity even as Lou ended the connection only to begin a series of new calls. Shouting demands, he left the office on a run.

**H5O* H5O**

C.J. sat next to Charlie in the middle of the living room, half-watching his brother play with their cars. Whenever Charlie rocked back into him, C.J. could feel the vibration of Charlie's car-noises as he rolled two at once over the miniature track. He chewed at his lip half daring to attempt the noises too but then deciding not to. His speech teacher was a lot like the one that his Aunt Ellen had back in Ohio, so C.J. was used to trying to make sounds just the right way. He was starting to understand how to do something the right way with his mouth and just the right push of air over his tongue, though it was hard work. That week though they'd be practicing a very special few words. Secret words which C.J. suddenly felt like trying out now.

He was looking more at his fingers though, doing nothing really as he worried about his father and if the scary man was coming for him. Then, if he came, what would he do? He was big and bad ... and C.J.'s breathing hitched in his chest. Tears sparkled again under his lashes as he stared at his fingers. They blurred away as a tear drop fell on his thumb. But then both his hands were covered by one big one and C.J. looked up into Steve's face. He took another deep breath and bit at his lip again, studying his Steve's face ... his _real_ daddy's face ... hard.

"No more crying," Steve slowly said to him as he balanced in a low crouch. He held out both hands, one behind the other and then waved that hand back and forth, behind the other. It was the finger sign for movie but C.J. was making up his mind about something else.

"We're going to pick out a _movie_ and ..."

"Dad-dee." The word was muffled and low but it was definitely a word and completely, one hundred percent, understandable. Taking another deep breath and thinking hard about doing it just right, C.J. repeated himself without using the proper finger sign.

"Dad-dee."

His father's face rippled with an odd look and C.J. wondered if he'd gotten the shapes with his tongue and lips, and his breathing, all wrong. But then his father called Danno's name - and it must have been loud because Danno came running, looking all worried. He pointed to C.J. and then ... wiped his hands across his face. Sitting down on the floor with a thump, Steve used his thumb to rub a gentle circle over C.J.'s cheek. He was smiling now and his eyes were shiny with lots of tears; _happy_ tears and C.J.'s lips twitched upwards. He'd done it right!

"Say it again, C.J." His dad said out loud, smiling so so big. "Please ... show Danno ... _tell_ Danno who I am."

Grinning now and feeling very proud with himself for making Steve so happy, C.J. looked up to Danno and then back to his father ... his very _real_ daddy. C.J. took another deep breath and made his lips and tongue move just the right way. Feeling more confident as he repeated what he'd been practicing all week with his teacher, C.J. said his very first and very special, secret word. This time for Danno to hear, too.

"Daddy," he said as he pointed to Steve and slowly, carefully tapped his chest because this part was important and it almost made him want to cry again. "My ... daddy."

And on the heels of C.J.'s proclamation, mouth hanging open in surprise, Danno sat down with a thump that C.J. could feel right through the floor. He sat down hard, next to C.J.'s daddy.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes:**_ now let's get down to some business, shall we? ***evil grin***_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

"So?" Danny asked as he slyly pushed Steve up against the kitchen counter after dropping the empty pizza boxes on the floor near the over-full garbage pail. He scooted closer, his arms now on either side of Steve, trapping him in place out of view of where the boys were playing in the living room. He looked up into Steve's face, his grin infectious enough for Steve to place a kiss on his forehead.

"How does it feel to hear your son's first words? It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?"

It was actually ... incredible. Steve wasn't sure where to land though. His smile wavered. Stuck between a smile and a confusing feeling of sadness, he scrubbed hard at his face. Suddenly, he was in an emotional turmoil as his fingers wound up mired in his hair. As his expression changed, Steve looked down at Danny, easily reading the worry which had quickly replaced that gleeful grin.

"What? What's wrong?" Danny asked. "You were just over the moon about your kid's first words ... six years old or not ... your son called you daddy, Steven! Now you look like you got hit by a truck. What gives?"

"That's the thing though," Steve interrupted the tirade he could sense growing. As things slowly clicked into place, Steve realized why he was so damned upset by Danny's simple question. He could finally put words to the confusion inside his mind ... and his heart.

"What is wrong with you?" Danny persisted, frowning now.

"He's not legally my son, Danny," Steve explained slowly and very softly in case Charlie might hear him. "He's not ... he should be and I want him to be ... but he's not legally mine and I think he's scared to death that anyone can come and take him away. Hell, and maybe I am, too."

Instead of soothing him or even offering him an argument though, Danny sucked in an audible breath over his teeth and then nodded.

"Okay. Yeah," Danny replied thoughtfully. He paused before shrugging as if what he'd suggest next would solve the whole dilemma. "So, we fix it. We call Emily and we ask her ... that little man needs to take your name and know he's yours and that this is his home. Good and proper. I don't know what she'll say though. I couldn't even hazard a guess so we'll need to retain a lawyer and prepare; learn up on adoption and what you'd need to do in a case like this."

Steve felt his heart thud right up into his mouth. Adoption. Never in his life had Steve considered having a kid like C.J., let alone formalizing an adoption. Sure he'd thought he'd be a father someday, but this scenario had never crossed his mind. However, now that Billy Travers might have reared his ugly head, prompting such a visceral response from the little boy, Steve knew that this had to be the logical next step. For him and especially for C.J. A proper adoption would resolve so much anxiety for the both of them. Yet, there was the Gardiner family to contend with and nothing was ever as easy as it should be. More so when the family in question had unlimited funds and probably felt as if they'd permitted so much already by allowing Steve and Danny guardianship rights.

"Conor James McGarrett?" Steve said out loud. The name rolled off his tongue sounding so very right and Steve rediscovered his smile. He knew he sounded wistful as Danny's smile also returned in spades. He leaned down at the same time Danny craned his neck upwards, their lips parting as they kissed deeply, sharing that private moment.

"Sure. Why not," Danny whispered as he mouthed Steve's lips with a gentle tease. "Makes sense in all the right ways."

"Something else does, too. In all of the same right ways," Steve whispered back. "You know what mean and if we're talking adoption, then it should be the both of us. Together."

Steve's challenge was clear. But to pound his point home, he pulled Danny in tight, his arms tucked firmly around the smaller man. "Me and you ... we make sense. We always have and we need to talk, Danno. C.J. wants you as his dad too and ...Charlie? They need to be real brothers … and what about Grace? She loves him just as much. So I say: Conor James Williams-McGarrett. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?""

"Call Lou while I take the garbage out," Danny interrupted as he pulled out of Steve's embrace. Steve scowled as he reluctantly released his partner.

They'd been down this particular path before; well before C.J. had come into their lives. Oddly enough, it was Steve always in pursuit and Danny the one with the reservations. In fact, Danny was quite comfortable with how things were between them and his single worded excuse easy enough to understand.

Rachel.

It didn't matter if Steve felt that they would be different together. Danny had been badly burned and was now ambivalent about the topic of marriage. He was perfectly fine with their current living arrangements and he wasn't the only one content which had made Steve's earlier arguments almost to easy to negate. As Danny always calmly pointed out, both Charlie and Grace were equally at ease with their Danno and Uncle Steve merely living together.

Steve wholly disagreed though. For him, their arrangement had merely been a litmus test which they'd passed with flying colors. He'd wanted more since almost losing Danny to a bullet inside the confines of a hospital quarantine ward. He absolutely needed more now that C.J. was in their life.

With this special little boy in their midst, Steve was determined to talk some sense into his partner.

"Danny," Steve tried to stop Danny as he scooped up the empty pizza boxes and grabbed the full trash bag out of the pail with his free hand. "We need to talk. Things are different now."

"Maybe they are," Danny replied evenly though he was holding the boxes in front of himself like a paper shield. "But we'll discuss this later. Not while the kids are in the house, plus C.J.'s already on edge. Later, okay? I'm willing to talk about it again ... but later."

"He wants you to be his father, too," Steve saw fit to add anyway. "You're his Danno and as much his father as I am! He'll never understand why we aren't a real family." His voice was louder now and maybe his tone a bit more sharp. He made a face when his cell phone chirped at the same time and Danny took the opportunity of this new interruption to scoot backwards towards the door to the breeze-way.

A glance told Steve it was Lou Grover and he sighed in aggravation, knowing that he needed to take the call.

"Lou?" Danny asked even though he'd likely guessed it.

"Yeah," Steve muttered, still aggravated. They stared at each other for a moment though, each of them warring with different emotions until Danny could only shrug, almost helplessly.

"Steve, I promise, we'll discuss it later," Danny said as he motioned to the cell phone with his chin. "Talk to Lou before that thing goes to voicemail. See what he's found out about Billy Travers. We need to know ... and we sure as hell need to deal with this insanity first. Take the call; I'll be right back."

"Sure," Steve said as he all but slammed his finger on the accept button to accept Lou's call. He was equal measures disappointed and angry as he watched Danny leave the kitchen. Annoyed as hell all over again as he watched Danny disappear out the side door and into the dusky evening. He cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind as he refocused on Lou Grover who was already saying something into the phone. Talking fast and breathless, Steve realized quickly that the older man was on high alert.

Shit, Steve practically growled as he focused on what Lou was saying, the tone bad enough. Lou had something and it wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.

_"Steve? You hearing me? You there?"_

"No. Not all of it ...Lou? Slow down ... start over. What do you have?"

**H5O* H5O**

Danny used his shoulder to open the door the rest of the way, sobered by Steve's question. Or actually, not a question, more of a needy demand to talk about a very touchy subject. Danny shouldn't have been confused by the timing of it, and yet he was. C.J. was an important part of their lives and adoption made so much sense. However, their current comfortable circumstances would likely not yield a positive outcome, forcing only Steve to pursue the legal route.

"Damn it," Danny groused under his breath. "We are a real family." He loved Steve unconditionally but for Danny, marriage had been firmly off the table. Up until that day, he hadn't seen the necessity of it. So where Steve had been the one most interestingly pressing the matter, Danny had gently shut down Steve's proposal time and again. But as Steve had just so wisely pointed out, things were very different now.

Still, did adopting C.J. have to equate to marriage? Danny made a face at his own stupidity of even thinking about such a question. Of course it did unless Steve adopted the little boy on his own and Danny immediately resented that as an option. It felt downright wrong in too many ways that counted not only for himself and for Steve, but for two little boys who considered themselves full brothers without a court-order piece of paper confirming it.

Lost in his thoughts about how to juggle Steve, revisit the prospect of marriage after his own failures, and now balance C.J.'s formal adoption along with those things, Danny fumbled the empty pizza boxes as he tried to slide open the lid to the outside garbage bin.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath as he accidentally dropped the hard plastic lid. It bounced away from the bin. He wasn't thinking about the task at hand as he started to do some serious soul-searching because one of Steve's pointed comments stayed stuck in his head and Danny sniffed a rueful sound because his argument was weakening, and weakening fast.

"We are a real family … dammit, Steven," Danny muttered to himself as a smile crept over his mouth. _Conor James Williams-McGarrett._ He was going to have to marry his overbearing, over-achieving, lovable Neanderthal of a partner after all.

Preoccupied by all of those thoughts, Danny never sensed the dark shadow looming just out of sight. So he was completely taken by surprise when a hot stabbing pain lanced across the side of his skull. The pain took away his equilibrium and sent him reeling. With a stunned grunt of sound, the remaining empty boxes slipped from his hands. Danny stumbled to a knee, his eyes closing as the rest of his body collapsed in upon itself to slump lifelessly to the concrete of the breeze-way.

Danny never felt Billy Travers grab his arm to roughly drag him into the small copse of greenery, just out of sight of the door and kitchen window, leaving a thin trail of blood in his wake.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes**_: thanks to Phoebe for the read-through. Any mistakes are my own. Hope you enjoy!_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

_"You have everybody there, right? Inside? Safe and sound?"_ Lou asked. In the background, Steve could hear people talking. Tani. Junior. A not so distant siren. Lou was coming and coming in hot.

"Yeah of course," Steve said. He glanced uneasily towards the side door and the breezeway where Danny was supposed to be but already taking too long. In the living room, the TV was suddenly switched on much too loud and Steve grimaced, briefly distracted.

"Charlie! Turn that thing down!"

"We're picking out a movie Uncle Steve!" Charlie shouted over the din and Steve pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to focus on what Lou was saying.

"Lou, sorry ... what's going on? What did you find out?"

_"Well, you keep yours close,"_ Lou said. _"We got a problem. A big one. Emily Gardner is in the hospital in critical condition. I have Junior tracking down why the hell we weren't informed; and calling the hospital to get more information on her condition. Just as bad, there was a change State-side. Some snot-nosed kid replaced Warden Price two weeks ago. There was a shake-up and a few nuts got shook loose from the tree. Travers is one such nutcase. And I just found out his cell-mate. Some lolo by the name of Luke Kahale? He's missing too."_

"What? What are you saying? Emily is sick ... hurt?" Steve asked as he started moving across the kitchen. "What do you mean we weren't informed! When the hell did this happen?"

In the background, Charlie was giggling and the TV was still on too loud. Steve blocked some of the noise just enough to be only aware of Charlie's laughter as he tried to entertain his brother. Two steps from the side door, the hair on the back of Steve's neck stood straight up. He stared at the mesh screen, taking a moment to ignore Lou in favor of listening harder to the too quiet sounds emanating in from the breeze-way.

_"Car accident,"_ Lou explained. _"Nothing conclusive but there's no witnesses ... and with Travers on the loose? Ten to one you know he had a hand in it."_

"Shit," Steve breathed out softly. Emily? He was shocked by the news. He'd never even considered that Emily Gardner could become a target. Not like this. He glanced towards the kitchen door again, worried and on edge. It was too quiet outside and Danny had been gone just a few seconds too long.

"Lou?" Steve said the name reflexively as a foul odor drifted in through the kitchen window. Acrid and sharp, it had a familiarity to it and Steve paused. "What the hell?" He muttered as an odd reddish flicker of light caught his eyes.

_"Yeah. And guess what ..."_

Steve zoned out on Lou's voice as he got moving closer to the door. The facts would matter later as Steve spied the glimmer of smokey flames from the direction of the old shed where his father's now very forgotten old car sat dying its slow rusty death. The fire would take the old structure quickly and Steve sent out a silent prayer that Travers hadn't somehow gotten his partner inside before he'd set the blaze. Both distractions were designed to get him out of the house - one or the other - and away from the boys and Steve's face hardened in anger as he backed up to shelter himself just inside the doorway.

"Lou, I need back up ... fire department ... and I need it now," Steve hissed between his teeth, interrupting whatever Lou was so eager to explain. "Right now."

He intended to get his hidden gun from the high cabinet above the refrigerator as he ended the connection with Lou. At least that much why he sketched a hasty plan on his mental map.

_Get gun. Get the boys safe. Find Danny. Find ... kill ... destroy ...Travers. _

Steve didn't care about the fire itself. At least not in the sense of the word.

He cared about Danny ... he cared about the boys ... he cared that Travers was wanting him distracted and out of the house. None of this was lost on Steve. How Travers had managed to neutralize Danny less than five steps from the side door without nary a sound, was downright terrifying. The boys would be next.

Travers might not even be alone. The felon wanted C.J. and was taking no prisoners. What Travers might not be counting on though was that Steve would be more than happy to play that very same game. By stepping foot on the island, he'd virtually signed his own execution orders.

Cursing under his breath about wanting to be in too many places at once as he lunged for the high cabinet, Steve tucked in his weapon into the rear of his waistband. Grim-faced, he jogged to the living room.

"Charlie? C.J.? I need you to do what I say," Steve both said and signed. "I need you to hide and stay very, very quiet. Not a sound." It wasn't lost on Steve that C.J. was instantly afraid. Always on high alert due to his hearing impairment, C.J. read body language and expressions in a much faster and more perceptive way than anyone Steve had ever run across. Steve was easily communicating his stress but he didn't have a choice as he motioned to the boys towards the rear of the staircase.

_'Daddy?'_ C.J. signed, leaning against Steve's shoulder when he dropped to his knees in order to shove the small bookcase away from a small, hidden door. "Daddy?" C.J. voiced out loud this time as Steve opened the door and gestured for them to go inside the closet-sized room. Already decked out with blankets, big puffy floor pillows, toys and a battery-run camping lantern, it was more play-cave than closet. A fun spot in the house perfect for little boys on rainy days or, like now, an even better place for Steve to safely hide them away.

"Daddy?" C.J. shook his head not wanting to stay there, his chin trembling and Steve smiled soothingly, his heart aching with love as the boy spoke again.

"Now what did I tell you about crying?" Steve said as he swiped the tears away with his thumb. "I'm so proud of you, C.J. So, so proud. I promise, I'll be right back."

With a reluctant nod, C.J. went inside the space, lips still quivering. He turned around to face Steve, making the finger sign for '_Danno?'_ and Steve's stomach tightened in a knot. He paused long enough to lean forward and kiss the side of the boy's head.

_'He's here ... he's bad,'_ C.J. signed.

"It's going to be okay. I promise," he soothed as he ran his fingers through C.J.'s hair. "Stay here with your brother."

"Uncle Steve? Where's Danno?" Charlie questioned out loud when he too realized that Danny was missing and that Steve was in a quiet rush, piloting both of them into their hideaway. Looking from C.J. to Steve, Charlie made a face. "I don't want to hide. Where's Danno?"

Steve looked at his two little men. Shoulder to shoulder, one far more afraid than the other and both yet so trusting, and he found another smile. He cupped Charlie's cheek and repeated his promise. "I'm going to go and find out, okay?" Steve said. "Everything is going to be fine. But I need you to hide and be very, very quiet. Turn on the camp lantern and don't make a sound; only come out for me, Danno or Uncle Lou. Okay? It's important, Charlie. I'm trusting you to do this for me. I need both of you to be really brave, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Steve," Charlie whispered unhappily.

"C.J.? Can you be brave for me, buddy?" Steve said and signed slowly, waiting just a hairs-breadth for C.J. to nod, too.

"That's my boys," he whispered with a proud smile. Then he raised a finger to his lips, backed up, and slowly closed the door on two very solemn faces.

**H5O* H5O**

As soon as the door was clicked shut and Steve had left them, Charlie had the camp lantern turned on. The space was small but homey with all the blankets and toys, but C.J. didn't want to move from where he was. He stood rooted to the floor, just staring at the door with his fingers curled into two little tight fists.

This was so so bad and he was really very scared. Danno wasn't there and now his dad had left them. When Charlie moved to stand in front of him, C.J. made the sign for being _afraid_.

"It's okay. I don't like it either," Charlie whispered. "But Uncle Steve and Danno are on the job." He stood in front of C.J., talking slowly because he didn't know how to finger-sign all the words.

"They're on the job and will get that bad man. Don't be scared, C.J."

C.J. shook his head though. He knew better and he was really scared. He knew what his bad daddy could do and had already done. He had done terrible things and that was why he was supposed to be far away in jail. The man wasn't supposed to be here, in Hawaii. But he was and now C.J. was afraid for Danno and for his dad. He was also scared that he could be taken away.

His bad daddy had signed it - _he'd meant it_ \- and he _could_ make it happen ... and just suppose he wanted Charlie, too?

_ 'Daddy and Danno could get hurt,'_ C.J. signed, knowing that Charlie would understand these easy words. For a minute, Charlie looked scared too as he figured out what C.J. had signed because he hadn't thought about that happening. But then Charlie was taking C.J. by the hand and tugging him to sit down on one of the big pillows.

_'No, they're smart,'_ Charlie signed. He tapped the side of his head with his finger. _'Smart and strong.'_

He smiled as he put his arm around C.J.'s shoulders. Bending his head close so C.J. could read his lips, Charlie whispered very softly, "Uncle Steve and Danno can do anything, C.J. They're the _best_."

With a nod and a tentative smile, C.J. dropped his eyes to study his fingers as he sat next to his brother. He was still scared but he felt better being in the small room with Charlie. Charlie was right, too. Danno and Daddy were the best ... they could do anything and he needed to be brave.

Shoulder to shoulder, trying to be brave together, they sat there side by side. They sat there together just waiting for their fathers to come back.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes:_ As always, Phoebe is a life saver and ever patient with a stupid amount of revisions._**

**_I dislike long notes, but had to share this: I found this about flash bangs and apply it whole-heartedly to our lovely 'Super SEAL Steve'! _**  
_1\. The flash of light momentarily activates all sensory pigment in the retina, making vision impossible for approximately five seconds until the eye restores the pigment to its original, unstimulated state._

_2\. Your ears ring like a son-of-a-bitch for quite some time, **depending on how much experience you have with bangers. **_

_3\. You stumble around looking like a drunk for a little while. the concussion causes a spike in pressure disturbing the fluid in the semicircular canals of the ear._

_4\. You have a generally concussed feeling._

_Let's very rightly assume though that Steve has signifiant experience with them and/or uses is very significant life experience in a war zone. Therefore this final bit from the article IS pertinent to Steve in all ways. _

_ "The up shot of life in close proximity to Bangers is that, for better or worse, the more you are exposed to them, the easier they are to handle. One can, over time, become desensitized to the resulting "Flash" and "Bang"."_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

At the same time Steve was hiding the boys, Danny was opening his eyes to a world of hurt. And while his eyes might have finally opened, his brain wasn't even close to functioning. He stared upwards only conscious of how badly his head hurt and that a single green _something_ was inches from his face. The green thing swayed back and forth, sometimes dipping to sweep across his face. When he tried to focus on the thing, that only made his head throb even more.

Danny forgot about the green as he lifted one hand to touch the worst of the hurt. Fingers shaking he gingerly touched his temple first before he traced backwards to the place just above his ear. He hadn't much thought about making it hurt more, but he was gasping as soon as his fingers connected with the warm slick of blood. Only then did his addled brain supply him with some sort of logical explanation.

Shot.

He'd been _shot_ and it felt like the bullet was inside his head it ached so badly. Danny still wasn't thinking as he automatically rolled over to his side and that was a mistake of mammoth proportions. Overwhelmed by a spike of pain and vertigo, his attempt at getting up stopped as his stomach churned. He inhaled once, choked on a surge of bile and then vomited up the pizza dinner he'd had not even an hour earlier. Choking and gagging, drenched in sweat and blood, Danny slumped back down. He wedged his eyes tightly closed, his muscles rippling uncontrollably.

He'd been _shot_ in the head and the bullet _had_ to be inside. It had to be because he'd never had such a headache in his life. His mouth flapped open as he tried to call out for help but ... no.

_No. No, don't do that._

He wasn't sure what stopped him from calling out. Confused and in pain, Danny dragged in a breath of air and forced his eyes back open. The blur of green was darker now as he squinted upwards. He couldn't see straight. The night-time shadows rolling in around him did little favor and Danny allowed his eyes to drift close as he tried to think harder.

Where was he and why?

Why was he alone? Hadn't he been home last? With the boys. Yes. Maybe? Steve ... Charlie? No, that was both right and ... wrong. C.J. then. It was something to do with him and Danny blearily squinted upwards again. A worrisome name teased at him and Danny got himself moving.

_Billy Travers. _

_Of course._ Danny cursed under his breath as he tried to control hands that were shaking so badly, he could barely make a fist. He didn't consider the real _how_ of it just yet. That his family was in danger got him committed to really moving. With another pained groan, he rolled over to his side, pushing through the knife-like pain inside his head and then struggled to his knees. Nearly crippled by pain, his body trembling in shock, Danny dragged himself to his feet.

His whimper of pain was pathetic as he fought to stay upright. His vision swam sickeningly and it was all he could do just to stand there as one hand punched wildly through the air, seeking any kind of purchase. He'd been shot in the head and was surely on the verge of death as he listed dizzily to the side, caught himself from face-planting just in time, only to ingloriously vomit again.

"Fuck," he whimpered. He swiped at his face with the back of his hand before holding that hand firmly over his mouth. He refused to get sick again. Already, the sour taste and odor clung to him as he blindly stumbled over his own two feet. He was in the verge of falling to his knees when his hand connected with a hard surface. His fingers scrabbled over smooth metal, the familiar feel grounding him in relief.

Danny leaned forward over the side of his car, trusting it to hold him. It was cool under the heat-soaked sweat of his upper body as he let himself go, inch by inch. His head followed suit and Danny laid his cheek against the hood, reveling in its familiarity. Taking comfort in how it braced the ache inside. His eyes closed as he reminded himself to simply breathe. But on the cusp of this brief bout of peace, Billy Travers name came back to taunt him. Then the why of being shot and Danny wrenched his eyes back open.

He'd been taking the garbage out. Dumping the trash. He'd been _shot_.

"Charlie?" Danny croaked out his son's name and his stomach twisted again. This time more in fear as his senses began to clear enough for him to stubbornly push himself off the Camaro. He needed to go back to the house. Check on the boys. See Steve. Steve would know what to do about all the blood.

Wobbly and sick, Danny aimed himself across the breeze-way, weaving like a drunkard towards the kitchen door. But then he was stopping yet again as a new odor wafted his way.

Smoke. Acrid and thick, the smell caught his attention and Danny awkwardly turned around, dumbstruck to see flames licking up the side of the old shed. He blinked in shock and then changed trajectory, getting only a few off kilter steps in before he heard a muffled bang emanating from inside the house. Hand to his aching head, Danny waffled in confusion even as a distant siren floated within earshot. Help was coming but Danny didn't know which way to turn until the kitchen door exploded off its hinges and a body skidded across the breeze-way.

Danny blinked wildly through his blurry vision. As he watched, the body rolled up to a crouch, lightly balanced on its toes.

"Steve?"

**H5O* H5O**

Moving the bookcase back into place, Steve touched nothing else as he eased himself quietly through his house. He left the TV alone, allowing it to resonate cartoon-ish music much too loudly. A glance towards the TV clocked a kids cereal commercial and he quickly discounted it. His intent was to go out through the kitchen - maybe the lanai - he could smell the sour odor of burning wood and even older chemicals on the wind. He envisioned Danny inside the old shed, trapped and he used his anger efficiently as he gained ground through the house. Steve thought he was ready for everything except for the soft click and shushing-sound.

Steve knew the sound well. He didn't need to see the slim canister to know a flash-bang had been tossed into the house.

Sheer instinct had him closing his eyes tightly and diving away towards the closest and most secluded spot he could reach. With barely a grunt, Steve used his arms to cover his ears as he let the concussive force of the flash-bang flow over him. Sure he felt it. Even with his eyes closed and his ears somewhat protected, he was momentarily blinded and deafened; maybe just a bit disoriented. But Steve had zero issue with keeping his wits and doing a mental count to five, before he was on his feet and ready for war. Behind him, the canister smoldered threateningly on the hard-wood floor.

But all Steve needed was _movement ..._

... another mental count to three and a patient turn of his head provided him with some perspective. Steve put himself just inside the kitchen nearest the center island prep station. A few feet from the side door where Danny had taken the garbage out just minutes earlier. He couldn't feel his weapon braced between his lower back and the waist-band of his jeans. He didn't dare move though. Not yet. So while Steve would have appreciated having his gun, he quickly opted for another approach.

Feigning some weakness, he stayed on a knee, muscles bunched. Head low but cocked to the right _\- towards the lanai_ \- towards where he sensed the canister had come, Steve waited for what he needed, knowing that Billy Travers could never appreciate that the SEALs had hardened Steve to certain types of attack. Being at war had only increased what had long become innate traits.

For Steve, a flash-bang was child's play. After hurting Ellen Gardner, terrifying _Steve's_ little son and doing God-knew-what to Danny, Travers would learn what Steve was capable of the hard way. Steve just needed one sliver of motion. A shadow of any kind; some tiny change in the atmosphere and he would have what he needed as he let his attacker come to him. Allow the person to believe he'd been wrongly incapacitated. So Steve paused ... waiting ... willing his hearing to cooperate ... _waiting_ until he caught that glimpse ... a dark shadow that flickered just into view.

"Where's my kid?" Travers asked nastily. "I want what's mine ..."

"He's not yours. Never was ... never will be," Steve said, ignoring the gun in Traver's hand but clocking the silencer. He knew what had happened to Danny and Travers had bought himself a death warrant as he made a silent vow to not edit his reaction. There would be no point of return. No matter what might happen next, the felon would indeed die that day.

"You're nothing but a mongrel ... hell, you're not even that."

"Say whatever you want." There was the barest of shrugs. Traver's entire demeanor reeked of disdain. "He's dead, McGarrett," Travers boasted softly. "Easy, peasy." He pantomimed the shape of a gun with his free hand. Using his thumb and forefinger, he held his finger to his own head, making a clicking sound with his tongue.

"You're next. Then I'm taking what's _mine_."

Steve's heart clenched in pain as he tried to absorb what Travers had just said and done. _He'd shot Danny._ Killed him and intended to do more until he got what he came for. At the narrowing of the felon's eyes, Steve launched himself at the man. A bullet ripped through his bicep. A second shattered his clavicle. Fueled by rage, Steve barely noticed the pain that came with the hits. The force of the slugs merely slowed him down a second or two. Certainly not long enough for Billy Travers to recover in time to take another shot.

There was a stunned shout of alarm as Steve broadsided the man. Travers' gun flew from his fingers as Steve hefted him back to his feet only to boot Travers directly in the breast-bone. The kick was solid and strong, sending Travers windmilling backwards through the kitchen's screen door. As Steve strode forward, he scooped up the gun in one smooth motion, following in the man's wake.

Travers hit the pavement hard, falling on top of the old pizza boxes. His legs bicycled under the now destroyed screen door as he regained his balance, breathing hard but agile enough to quickly roll to his feet. Despite coughing from Steve's kick, he crouched low near the garbage pails, on his toes, a knife in his hand. Slowly he splayed the fingers of his opposite hand.

You can't shoot me," Travers practically purred. "Stupid ass cops ... that damned kid's mine; that's a fact that's just never going to change." His grin deepened as the sounds of multiple sirens came closer. He coughed again, wheezing uncomfortably and then shrugged. "Oh hell, so here come the troops." Ever so arrogantly, Billy Travers let the knife slip from his fingers.

"I surrender."

"Not happening," Steve said with a leer that bested Travers' arrogance. His left arm throbbed. It was fast refusing to work but his right hand was steady and true. The boys were safe and would stay that way. The sirens were close now. In the street. Shouts could be heard from the base of the driveway. Fire and police back-up had arrived and Lou would be there, but Danny? Travers _had_ to be lying. Steve glowered angrily even as the smile slowly left Travers' face. Travers wasn't looking at him anymore and Steve glanced to his right when he sensed the new presence. Lights were illuminating the area. Steve thought the person might be Lou Grover, but then felt sucker-punched when he realized the shape was Danny.

"Danno?" Steve asked so many questions with that one word.

"Steve?" Danny's voice never sounded sweeter. Something was off though in Danny's tone. His glance turned double-take as his gaze raked over Danny's disheveled, bloody appearance. That spark of relief kindled into a feeling of very real fear.

Steve's breathing caught in his throat when he saw the matted hair and the sheer volume of blood darkening Danny's neck and shirt.

"Sheds on fire," Danny whispered. He frowned in confusion next, looking from Steve to Travers, then back again. "Did... did you get shot?" Eyes glazed and shaking from head to foot, Danny was barely on his feet and he certainly wasn't tracking well but he'd focused on the blood dripping down Steve's arm.

"Fuck me," Travers said disgustedly. "Look who's back from the dead."

"I ... I think I did," Danny mumbled as if he never heard Billy Travers at all. He looked down at the blood staining his fingers, completely confused. "Head hurts."

"Oh my God," Steve whispered as Travers had the gall to curse in contempt. "Danno. Just stay there ... don't move."

The head wound was bad. Travers had really meant to kill his partner; the fact that he was now cursing up a blue-streak proved that Travers thought he had done it. That Danny might really be grievously wounded had Steve swinging his gaze back down towards the felon. Filled with hatred as he sensed Danny's knees starting to buckle, Steve stared deeply into the man's black eyes. There was something in Travers' eyes; something more.

"Steve?" The confusion and pain in Danny's voice nearly pulled Steve off his quarry. He was scared to death for his partner. Distractions were increasing as the fire department arrived. But the felon's left hand had started to move as he tried to take advantage of them. Travers' hand had dropped down of its own accord. As he boldly kept Steve's gaze, his fingers were tracing along his hip. Down towards his lower back. He was back to grinning like a maniac and Steve had had enough.

"Don't ...," Steve's warning was noncommittal because Travers kept right on going. His hand disappeared and Steve tightened his finger on the trigger. "Stop."

He took another step forward and finally, Travers realized the many flaws in his plan. His eyes widened in surprise when he understood the singular look on Steve's face.

"Wait ...," Travers hand was on the upswing, but it was far too late. Steve shook his head just once even as Lou Grover came up the drive on a run, shouting his name. There was a muted glint of silver in Travers' hand and Steve didn't hesitate.

"This is my family ... C.J. is _my_ son," Steve stated as he emptied Travers' own clip into his body.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_sorry for the delay. I have a crazy, busy job and couldn't get this chapter to feel right! Many thanks to Phoebe for all the awesome help!_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Lou was intercepting Danny's collapse before Steve could even reach his side. Saved from a bad fall, Danny was barely conscious as the bigger man propped him up in his arms. With the weapon now spent, Steve let Travers' gun slip from his fingers. He stumbled over, his left arm hanging uselessly, trying to wrap his head around Danny's blood-soaked appearance.

"Danny?" Gasping his partner's name and sick with bfoth fear and his own pain, Steve sank to his knees. Up close, Danny looked terrifyingly bad. Eyes closed and complexion ashen except for the glistening red texture of his hair, each of Danny's breaths seemed a struggle.

"What the hell happened? No, I didn't mean that. I know what happened. Steve, I'm sorry ... things went to shit way too fast." For that short moment, Lou babbled. "We get both of you out of here and we do it now."

He looked as helpless as Steve felt as Danny's head lolled on his shoulder. Ever so gently, he readjusted Danny's upper body against his chest, his hand splayed wide over Danny's neck offering support. Grim-faced, he gave Steve a stern once-over and shook his head when he saw the extent of Steve's injuries, too. He glanced over towards the burning shed which the Fire Department thankfully had under control.

"Mother of God. What a damned mess."

"I don't know what happened ... he came out of nowhere," Steve said. He winced as pain shot through his arm and shoulder. Blood was seeping down his back and he could barely move his arm, but he was much more concerned about Danny. "Where's that ambulance?"

"Damn straight." Lou said as he looked down towards the road. People were milling about but HPD hadn't allowed the medical team access yet. His eyes searched the crowd and then he was tapping his comm link.

"The scene's secure. Get those EMTs up here! We have two officers down - both with GSW's."

"Shit," Steve whispered under his breath. He closed his eyes as the earth seemed to move right out from under him. His knee-jerk reaction had been to argue Lou's evaluation. His body was having other ideas though as he let his head hang low. Weather adrenalin dump or residual affects from the flash bang, Steve very nearly face-planted right then and there from a nauseating bout of vertigo.

"They're coming. Steve? Hey? You okay, man?" Lou asked and Steve jerked a nod that was far from convincing.

"The shed was supposed to be a distraction," Steve managed to say. "But Danny had only been taking the garbage out when you called; he never came back inside. Then ... the flash bang got tossed into the house."

"Flash bang?" Lou questioned. "Travers used a flash bang?" His tone was at first incredulous before it turned dark and menacing.

"That bastard discharged something like a grenade with those little boys in the house?"

Lou was right. What might have happened to the boys if Steve hadn't insisted they hide right away? Steve's head swam as he churned through all the 'what ifs'. At the mere thought of what C.J. and Charlie might have gone through if he hadn't acted so quickly to hide them, made Steve sick to his stomach.

"Yeah, but I'd already hid them," Steve explained. "They're good, Lou."

"Where? Where are the boys, Steve? Where's Charlie and C.J.?"

"S-steve?" Danny's voice interrupted them unexpectedly and Steve automatically leaned forward.

"Hey," Steve said, utterly relieved when Danny opened his eyes. "You're going to be fine, Danno." He smiled when their eyes met, pushing down that ribbon of fear which grabbed at his heart when he noticed how glazed Danny's eyes were.

"The boys?" Danny virtually mouthed the question and Steve huffed a knowing sound. If Danny might hear one thing in a barely conscious state, it would be that one thing related to Charlie and C.J.

Steve moved closer to cup his hand dotingly to the curve of Danny's neck. His thumb traced a warm pattern on a cheek that was far too cold for a beautiful Hawaiian evening. The connection was slim and yet, it was enough for them. Just enough to settle Steve's heart and to clear Danny's eyes. For just that brief second or two, Steve forgot about everyone and everything else. It was just him - Danny - and the boys.

"Camping," Steve offered quietly. "The boys are camping. You know what I mean, right?"

"C-camping," Danny repeated and then sketched a tired smile. "Sure. Good." His head bobbled on his neck and Steve braced him, hand firm.

"Danno?" Steve came back to the present in a rush, feeling ice cold in a highly charged atmosphere as activity increased in its urgency around them, and rightly so. But then Danny blinked just once. He seemed to have trouble opening his eyes to focus on Steve's face. But the EMT's were there now, too, and Steve was gently moved to the side.

Steve lost sight of Danny as an EMT crouched down to cater to Danny even as he still lay in Lou's arms while another focused on him. The pain in his arm flared as one wound was wrapped and then his entire arm was stabilized against his chest. Steve nodded to whatever was being asked of him as things finally shifted again. He was surprised to see that Danny had already been moved to a stretcher, his head wrapped in layers of gauze.

"Sir? That's it ... we're going. We have to go."

The medics were ready. Lou was on his feet and Steve was being guided to stand so he could be moved to a second stretcher but Steve ignored him. Instead, he went to Danny and put his hand on Danny's arm. He glanced worriedly to Lou. Danny's eyes were open but refusing to track. Nevertheless, he seemed to find Steve's face.

"Love you." Danny's voice was growing more faint. He was doing his damndest now to keep his eyes open and Steve felt the tell-tale sting of tears.

"I love you, too, Danno," he whispered back. "I'll be right behind you, okay? After I take care of the boys."

"Yeah. After ...they're p'bly scared," Danny replied in a weak tone that still managed to convey he'd not tolerate an argument and Steve managed a lopsided grin. "But ….you" His hand twitched and Steve leaned forward even more to press his lips to Danny's forehead.

"After I go to them." Steve promised. "I will ... they're good. Safe ... and they both love you, too."

Danny smiled as he closed his eyes. "I know," he mouthed almost silently.

"Sir, we have to move. Now."

"Take him ... take him," Steve whispered as Danny's eyes slid shut. His face smoothed out as he fell into unconsciousness. Danny wasn't going to open his eyes again; not this time. Not until he received the medical care he needed. Steve's heart clenched at the thought as he looked to Lou for help because Steve couldn't bear to have Danny alone until he got to the hospital.

"Lou? Junior ...I want him with Danny."

"Consider it done," Lou said as he waved for Junior to go with Danny in the ambulance. But then he was all about Steve's welfare. Hands on his hips, Lou tried to stare him down.

"Steve, camping or not, this is nothing that their Uncle Lou can't handle," Lou said in vain because Steve still had his own agenda even if he swayed unsteadily on his feet. He shook his head and then pointed at Lou.

"Need your jacket," Steve demanded. "Hand it over." Completely disgusted with the situation at hand, Lou muttered something under his breath but he took his jacket off.

"You shouldn't be doing this," the EMT said as he watched Lou drape his over-sized jacket over Steve's shoulders, effectively covering the worst of the blood and bandages.

"Trust me," Lou said to the medic. "It's faster to just do what he wants." He literally threw his hands up in the air when Steve glared at him for the betrayal.

"It's been too long and they're going to be scared," Steve defended himself as he leaned heavily into his friend. "Help me to the house ... I need to talk to the boys. You can step in and then I'll go. After though like I promised Danny."

"We really need to get you out of here," the medic said as he hovered closely not knowing what to do as his patient walked away. "Hey! I really need to get him out of here!" The man helplessly appealed his case to Lou's broad back, failing as Lou only held up his hand.

"He's right you know," Lou said as he helped Steve to the house. Steve didn't say a word. The medic and Lou were both right.

They did need to get him out of there and to the hospital. Steve knew it. He could feel himself fading as a painful muscle spasm rocked his body. He was nauseous and weak. Still, Steve shook his head, inhaling sharply as the world spun him off its axis. He stumbled against Lou and the man caught his elbow, cursing under his breath non-stop.

"Thick-headed son of a bitch," Lou complained. "You're insulting me, too. I can take care of those boys just fine."

"I know you can. But this is my fault," Steve said as they entered the house, ignoring Travers' sheet covered body.

"Now how do you figure that?" Lou argued back. "We were all involved in trying to figure out where this guy could be; figure out what the hell was going on. That warden state-side? He's in a heap-load of trouble."

"Yeah," Steve murmured. They'd talk it out later. They would probably even have more intel later. Right then though, he was anxious to get to both Charlie and C.J. He knew they were safe where he'd left them. But the longer either he or Danny didn't show, the more afraid they would become.

Five minutes or five hours. The passage of time was an eternity to a scared child.

"Steve. Don't start to do this to yourself," Lou was saying. "This is not on you."

He couldn't help taking the blame though. C.J. was terrified. Ellen had been attacked state-side. They'd been careful and had been in the process of tightening their net. But they'd been too slow. Lou had been all over it. Junior had been full in on the assist.

What had he missed? Steve was having a hard time fathoming how this situation had gone south so fast. It was a known fact that Billy Travers simply wasn't this smart. But could he simply have been this stupidly lucky?

"Damn it," he whispered under his breath. Here it was again. A crime scene - his home - was already cordoned off. Yellow tape. Too much police activity. Steve had seen this before, in this very same place, and witnessing it again now, made him feel even more sick at heart. It was mentally exhausting to know that there was more to come even if it meant a future state of official closure.

"Steve, let their Uncle Lou step in," Lou tried to insist when Steve stumbled yet again in the living room. The television was still blaring loudly to another kids' commercial. Lou kept talking and Steve had only one objective on his mind.

"I can handle this."

"I know. You didn't see them though. You don't know," Steve stated bluntly as they made their way to the small door at the rear of the staircase. "Move the bookshelf." Steve sank to his knees. Lou followed him down, supporting him the entire way. Steve softened his tone of voice when he saw the look on Lou's face.

"I'm fine. Listen, Lou, I have to do this and then you take them home to your place. Okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Lou replied, somewhat unconvinced even as Steve gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder. "But you are going to get your ass on that bus ASAP, you understand me?"

"Thanks, Lou," Steve said much to the big man's chagrin.

Steve waited with his good hand on Lou's shoulder as Lou slid the bookcase out of the way. He closed his eyes, forcing how he was beginning to feel off to that internal lockbox inside his mind because he needed to prove to Charlie and C.J. that he was all right. Convince them that their Danno was fine even if they couldn't yet see that for themselves. Make them understand that they'd have to spend a night or two with their Uncle Lou and Aunt Renee.

It would all be a very hard sell so Steve needed to be there for them now. He'd promised Danny the same before he allowed himself to be carted to the hospital so his own injuries could be treated.

"Hey kids!" Lou said brightly as he opened the door. A pleasant flood of warm light leaked out from inside the small space. "Isn't this a nice place to camp! Say hi to your Uncle Lou and next time you go camping, I expect a personal invitation!"

Steve heard Charlie giggle and a soft breathy exhale from his son. C.J. had tried to laugh, too, and that relaxed Steve tenfold. That warm smile in Lou's voice had Steve peeling his eyes back open.

"There's my boys," Steve said. "So? Are you both going to really let this big old man play in your secret hide-out?"

"Who you calling old?" Lou puffed his chest out while rolling his eyes dramatically. He tapped his chest. "How dare he call me old! I can out-camp anybody in this place!"

"Hi Uncle Lou!" Charlie said with a giggle. In fact, Both kids were smiling even if C.J. was still a bit uncertain about things. He was looking from Lou to Steve and Steve could almost see the wheels turning in his head. But Charlie's stance was … interesting.

"Charlie?" Steve cocked his head. "What are you doing?"

The two boys were side by side. Maybe Charlie was a bit more in front of his brother. At first Steve wasn't sure until he really looked. No, he certainly was standing more squarely in front of C.J. He was also brandishing an HPD branded flashlight ... as if it were a club.

"What were you going to do?" Steve asked him again and this time, Charlie's hand dropped quickly enough. He let the flashlight fall to a pillow.

"Well," Charlie said. He gestured towards C.J. as an excuse. "He was scared," Charlie tried to explain.

But then C.J.'s face darkened. He slapped Charlie's arm. _Hard_.

"Owe! Hey!" Charlie complained loudly. "You were too scared!" He rubbed at his arm as he stared at his brother.

_'Was not!'_ C.J. quickly signed._ 'I am not scared!'_

"Are too!" Charlie objected as he gave C.J. a little shove. The angry look in C.J.'s eyes surprised Steve as the boy balled his fists tightly. It was scary, endearing and funny all at once.

"Whoa! Hey, hey, hey!" Steve said as he tried not to laugh as the six-year olds glared at each other.

_'Not scared!'_ C.J. signed again even if his lip was daring to tremble. He looked at Steve and took a deep breath.

"Daddy," he said out loud. "Daddy ...," C.J. switched back to using finger-signs to better pound his point home. He tapped his chest emphatically.

_'Not scared.'_

"I know buddy," Steve said with a smile. It was easy to table his own pain and woes when he could focus on the children. Steve was so proud of them and he wished that Danny was there to see them.

"You two are so, so brave and Danno and I are very proud of both of you."

"Uh?" Lou's mouth fell wide open in shock. He gave out with a little gasp and then wide-eyed looked at C.J. and then Steve. "He can talk?" Lou asked, uncaring that he was being completely ignored. "Since when?"

"But he was scared, Uncle Steve," Charlie said petulantly as he went to Steve for a one-sided hug. "Where's Danno?"

Steve tucked Charlie awkwardly to his chest before giving him a kiss on his cheek. "Danno got a bump on his head, Charlie. He had to go to the hospital. So can you and C.J. do me and Uncle Lou a big favor?"

Charlie looked at his fingers and then looked at C.J. His eyes were sad. The brotherly spat was already over because neither boy liked what Steve had said. Each of them was smart enough to know what was coming next, too.

"Yes. You want me and C.J. to go to Uncle Lou and Auntie Renee's house," Charlie whispered sadly as C.J. came forward to stand next to Charlie. He took his brother's hand. Best friends again, the two stood side by side taking comfort in the other.

"I do. Just for a day or two," Steve admitted. "I need you guys to be brave for just a little while longer, alright?"

"Uncle Steve? Is Danno going to be okay?" Charlie asked. His chin trembled and then he took a deep breath. "Is he?"

_'Danno?'_ C.J. signed worriedly. He was picking up now on Charlie's fears and his eyes were darkening with tears. "Daddy?" He asked out loud.

"There it is again!" Lou muttered incredulously. "Well I never ... that's just a beautiful thing." He scrubbed at his face, flummoxed by the whole situation.

"Danno's going to be fine," Steve softly reassured both boys. "He just has a bump and needs to see the doctor. I'm going to go to the hospital to check on him so he's not alone, okay?"

He prayed for all of that to be true as he ran his fingers through C.J.'s hair and then gently pulled him forward for a quick cuddle. Then he spoke very slowly and specifically to make one thing very, very clear.

"You don't have to be afraid of that bad man anymore. Never - _ever_ \- again."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_thank you all for the lovely reviews. Each and every word is appreciated. Special kudos go to Phoebe who helped the early morning breakfast bunny! This is one of those extra chapters that have a way of sneaking in when least expected ... and then you wonder why it wasn't always part of the game plan._

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Danny scrunched his nose. There was a bee in his ear, buzzing away non stop. While its noise was soft, the incessant _brrr_ was distracting when all he wanted to do, was sleep. Because if he were sleeping, then his head didn't hurt as much. His stomach wouldn't remind him just how badly it objected being part and parcel, and witness, to the volume of shocked pain his body was enduring.

The _brrr_ continued. Danny fought hearing it. He tried to will himself back down deeper as the physical thickness inside his head leaked in to his consciousness. It weighed heavily on his temple, pressing down on his neck and right shoulder. The ache was insidious and debilitating. It brought on that sickly feeling in his stomach which teased nastily at sending him back over an edge he had no desire to revisit.

The _brrr_ got louder and Danny tried to pull away from it. He must have moved because he realized that something was wrapped around his hand. A warmth seeped between his fingers. He became aware of a larger than life presence which hovered by his side; the source of the sound. Danny's objections to being disturbed eased, though he scrunched his nose again just to be contrary. His fingers twitched against the warmth and the heat increased, strong and steady.

_Steve?_ As his injured brain slowly connected the dots, Danny wasn't sure he'd spoken out loud. He must have though and what did it matter? The buzzing finally became words and the words, sentences. Softly voiced entreaties, begging him to wake all the way.

"It's time you woke up. Opened your eyes and said something. Anything." There was a pause, then the sound of an impatiently sad sigh. The sllde of metal on linoleum. Steve moved closer and Danny's scrunched up nose changed to a more thoughtful scowl. Half conscious of Steve's voice, Danny almost willfully refused to surface all the way. His fingers twitched again though, wrapping around Steve's fingers more tightly. Hanging on as if they'd had a much more willful mind of their own. Danny felt Steve pause again and then the warmth of a caress on the sensitive underside of his wrist.

"Hey? You hearing me?" The hope in Steve's tone was tangible and Danny let himself be tugged upwards towards a brighter level of awareness. "Danno? Come on, bud. Come on back."

Surfacing all the way was harder than he thought and for a minute, Danny felt a spike of fear. He'd thought _not_ waking had been a choice all his own. Instead, really waking was a battle he hadn't anticipated. His scowl transformed. He knew his face must have been proof of this new struggle as Steve's buzz of words became more insistent.

"Charlie's upset. Grace flew back in to be here. We've been waiting on you for days ... and C.J.? He needs his Danno." Steve paused yet again. He cleared his throat and said something under his breath which Danny couldn't quite hear. "Hell, you know I need you, too. So, so much. The doctors? They aren't sure why you've been under so long. We've contacted every expert; gotten opinions on top of opinions. Just ... just wake the hell up. You hear me?"

Danny's mental blink of confusion echoed through his whole body. _Days? Grace was home?_ He opened his mouth to talk. He _knew_ he did that when he heard Steve's deeper inhale. A sound of hope and need.

"You do," Steve said. "You do ... I know it's hard; I get it. But open your eyes, Danny." There was a hint of a smile mixed with a hoarseness that meant Steve's emotions were all over the map. "I need a doctor in here. Right now. He's waking up."

_Was he?_ Danny's fear at not being able to do what he wanted, trickled into a subtle flare of annoyance. Danny also didn't know who Steve was talking to. Not really though some whisper of a memory brought that a feeling of one-time danger ... and a name. Billy Travers. There was a sense of an old flurry of activity at the house. The boys. Pizza. Movies ... blood. An odd image of Lou Grover peering down at him.

_Steve?_ He wanted to wake up now. But try as he may, Danny couldn't seem to get himself all the way there.

"Steve?" Sound returned and his physical aches started to creep back in. "S-steve?" He murmured Steve's name out loud - Danny knew he did that, too. He sensed that his fingers were grasping Steve's hand even more tightly. He was clinging to his partner with a tenacity which was being returned, just as desperate as his own. He breathed in and then out, annoyance turning to a bit of anger. And then, his eyes simply opened and he was staring up into Steve's scruffy, unshaven face.

"There's my boy," Steve choked out a watery laugh. "You're a stubborn bastard, Danno. You can't do this to me, babe. You just can't." He leaned in closer to brush his nose gently across Danny's. His lips pressed a kiss to Danny's forehead. A cheek and then found his lips. Danny returned a kiss moistened only by the salt of Steve's tears and right then and there ... he decided.

"Yes," Danny whispered. Full of love and absolute certainty, Danny looked into Steve's eyes and smiled. "Yes. Yes, okay?"

Steve's lips quirked into a sideways grin. The darkness in his eyes lifted and he chuckled. "Yes? Now ... you're going to say it _now_?" Steve repeated. He was all over it though as he studied Danny's expression.

"Yeah," Danny repeated without apology. "Yes." He squeezed Steve's hand and smiled.

"Yeah for real?" Steve was still mere inches from Danny's face, close enough for another kiss. Then another. He knew exactly what Danny meant as he chuckled again, his tears now tears of happiness.

"He said yes ..." Steve whispered to himself. A sense of giddy joy was beginning to ripple off Steve in waves.. He pressed a kiss to Danny's cheek, his mouth close to his ear. "I love you, buddy. So, so much."

There was no doubt. No _are you sures?_ forthcoming. If ever there was a time, it was now. "Yeah," Danny murmured. "Me too." He swallowed hard, arguing his mouth to form words, wondering why it was so hard to talk. It took him some time and a cool sip of water from a straw but Steve was ever patient as Danny slowly got his mouth to cooperate.

"Love you, too ...," Danny frowned though as his eyes skittered over the contraption trapping Steve's left arm to his chest. It took him a moment for the cogs to click into place again and for him to realize he was looking at a soft cast. Danny blinked and then sighed, trying to communicate all his worry and frustration with this _animal_ of a man he loved far too much for his own good.

"... even if you are ... _are_ ...," His mouth got stuck on the word but Steve was grinning like a loon.

"...but I'm _your_ Neanderthal," Steve crooned happily as he completed Danny's thought for him before leaning in for another kiss which was a bit deeper; one that lingered on Danny's lips. Gazing up into Steve's face, their hands intertwined, Danny was entirely at peace.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **Grace is a Freshman in college in this AU. I haven't worked out any particulars just yet; it's not quite important to this addition to the storyline. Thanks AGAIN to Phoebe ;-)

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

"Uncle Steve! You're home!" The exuberant shout from Grace had Steve laughing as he was simultaneously knee-tackled by Charlie as soon as he came in through his front door.

"Easy big guy!" Steve said as he ruffled the damp tow-headed hair. "Were you swimming? Again?"

"Yeah! Me and CJ …"

"CJ and I!" Grace corrected her brother with a dramatic eye roll. But then she was all serious. "How's Danno?"

Steve's beaming smile told her everything she needed to know and her worry evaporated on the spot.

"He woke up?" She asked, her eyes bright with a newly discovered excitement.

"Yeah. He's awake. Finally. Feels like _cra_ … I mean … he feels _bad_, but he's awake and the doctors are pleased with just about everything."

"Can I see him?" Grace asked next, desperate for the go ahead. Her eyes lit up even more when Steve gave her a fast nod. But he held a finger up to his mouth, begging silence. When she was certainly old enough to pay a visit to her father in the ICU, her two little brothers would need to wait a bit longer.

"Danno's better? He woke up?" Charlie parroted the questions to be sure, smiling when he was satisfied that both Grace and Steve were being one hundred percent honest with him. "Can we go see him now?"

"Well. Soon, Charlie," Steve said, cupping the boy's cheek when the pout started immediately.

"Why not?" Charlie's smile was gone. His expression full of disappointment maybe just a bit of anger. "It's not fair! I want to see him!"

"I know, bud," Steve said as he got down on one knee. He continued to smile, trying to keep it light, but neither boy could yet see Danny until he was moved to a regular hospital room. "Soon. Promise. Danno is still in the special place but the doctor thinks he could be moved very soon. With any luck, maybe we can all visit him together by this time tomorrow."

Charlie made a face about that but didn't complain too much. He wound up giggling when Steve tickled a smile out of him.

"Danno said you can't be grumpy!" Steve laughed as Charlie bounded out of reach, still giggling. But someone was missing and Steve waved his one good hand around the room. "So … where's C.J.?"

"Outside," Charlie shrugged, clearly put out by his brother's disappearance. "He's on the beach … he didn't want to come in."

"He's banned from the water. He knows," Grace sighed out loudly before Steve could get too worried. She'd had her hands full with the two boys based on the look in her eyes. Steve could guess that she'd been chasing them down for most of the morning. Corralling two six year olds was never an easy job and Steve gave her a knowing grin. Grace made a show of tugging her hair back into a tight ponytail as if to prove how much she'd endured that day.

"Charlie was hot and came in; C.J.'s on the lanai … we're going to have lunch soon anyway. If C.J.'s down by the water, he's in big trouble and he knows it," Grace added for good measure. She practically glared at Charlie when he giggled again and pointed in the direction of the beach.

"He's not there. I looked," Charlie interrupted. "He's on the beach. I saw him … he was by the water. C.J. is in big, big trouble!"

"Charlie! Stop that! Don't be a tattle-tale!" Grace scolded her brother.

Steve raised a surprised eyebrow as he watched Charlie walk away after the announcement. He didn't say another word to his sister. The boy wouldn't look his way at all. At times like this, Steve felt like a duck out of water. He wondered if both kids were on the warpath for each other, trying to divide and conquer, because Danny had gotten hurt. Both vying for attention. Struggling for a moment with how to best react, Steve decided to ignore the outburst until he knew more.

"Well, where is he then?" Steve asked Grace softly. "Do I need to worry about all of this?" He nodded towards Charlie and then gave a helpless shrug.

"They've been mostly okay," Grace replied. "C.J.'s been moody; he always gets upset when you and Danno aren't around. I think he thinks what happened is all his fault."

"But, it's not his fault at all," Steve said in surprise. "He knows that!"

"I know he _should _know that," Grace answered. "He's so good Uncle Steve, but I think he's still scared."

That was true enough, too. C.J. was typically well behaved but he'd been unsettled since his birth father had scared him so badly. He hadn't been himself at all; disagreeable at times. In a snit more often than not if Steve needed to be at the hospital. Which had been: Every. Single, Day.

"Alright," Steve said apologetically. "I'll get him. I'll talk to him … he's on the lanai?"

"Well he's _supposed _to be on the lanai … I was making lunch for all of us," Grace complained as she and Steve practically bumped into each other on their way to the same place.

"I got it," Steve said, grinning as he used the near collision to sweep her up into a hug. "Thank you Gracie. It's good to have you home!"

He was thrilled when she'd come back from college to take over from Lou Grover to mind the boys. It had made everything so much easier to have her there. Not that he couldn't count on Lou and his wife, but having Grace home just made everything better. Especially with the happy news he had to share. In fact, Steve was suddenly bursting with the need to tell her first."

"Hey Gracie?" He whispered softly, just loud enough for her to hear. "Take the car … go see Danno for a few hours. I've got the kids, okay? He'd be thrilled - so surprised - to see you."

Her entire face lit up and she grinned. "Yeah?" She asked in a softer whisper so Charlie wouldn't hear and get more upset than he'd been. "Now? I can go see him now?"

"Now… just do it. Seeing you will make his day,," Steve said before he made a grand show of speaking loud enough for Charlie to hear him. "Grace? Can you take a run to the market and get us more milk? Maybe … oh I don't know, I think we might be out of a few things?"

"Sure," she said in a normal tone of voice. "I need to get some stuff, too. I made lunch already for the boys if you can get them to cooperate … Charlie? Be good for Uncle Steve, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Charlie replied from where he was watching TV in the living room. With the ruse well in play, Grace leaned up to kiss Steve on the cheek.

"Thanks Uncle Steve."

"I've something else to tell you," Steve said quickly. He was back to whispering and for just a moment, Grace hesitated, looking frightened.

"What?" she asked as he held her at arms length, not at all appeased by his smile. "Is something wrong with Dad?"

"No. Nothing's wrong. It's just your Dad … I mean, you know. _Him_ … and me," Steve sputtered quietly as he pushed on. He tried to smile down at Danny's daughter, wondering if the smile looked like the smarmy, sick thing it felt like.

"Him and you?" Grace repeated so softly, Steve barely heard her for the white-noise in his own ears. He was blushing clear up to his ears, too; he could feel the heat. Grace was staring at him in rapt attention. Steve hadn't anticipated fumbling this badly but his emotions were at an all time high. Grace Williams needed to be the first to know and of all people, he also yearned for her approval. Steve opened his mouth, managing to say it all in one, fast sentence.

"He said yes and well - I just wanted - wondered - wanted to know - are you cool with that?" Steve's head rocked on his neck. He was still blushing, terrified of Grace's reaction as she kept staring at him.

"Grace?"

"Dad said yes?" Grace finally asked, incredulous. Her hand was to her mouth, then to her neck. Her eyes were two brightly shining dark pools and Steve could only nod.

"Like really …truly ... yes?"

He kept nodding, feeling foolish and still thinking he'd just shot himself in the foot. "Yeah," he just about croaked the word.

"Wow!" Grace was suddenly in his arms, throwing herself around him for a careful hug, mindful of his bad shoulder. "Oh my God! Wow!"

"So you're okay with it?" He asked in her ear as his heart swelled in relief. "It's okay? You're okay … with this?"

"Okay? I'm better than okay with it!" She gushed, practically vibrating in her elation now. "Uncle Steve. You and Dad have been together, like … forever."

"I know but this would be … just more. And C.J.? It would mean the world to him … and the adoption if we get the okay … it just makes so much sense," Steve said as he scrubbed hard at his eyes, finding them damp. "God, I'm making a mess of this. I'm so worried about you kids."

"What mess? It's about time, anyway," she whispered conspiratorially. "Charlie and I have you, Danno and mom. Even Step-Stan sometimes. But C.J. … he has you and Danno … he needs it to be really real. I get it. But even without C.J. being part of this family, you and Danno are just … _right_. So yeah, I'm so, so good with this."

Steve kissed the top of Grace's head. "I love you, you know that?" He said, meaning it more than he ever had before. If Grace Williams wasn't perfectly beautiful inside and out, Steve didn't know who was.

"I love you too and not every girl has two really cool dads," Grace replied. She shrugged when his mouth fell open in surprise. "Oh come on! Just because Charlie and I call you Uncle Steve doesn't mean that we don't think that you're already just more, too."

And with that cheerful lecture, Grace was gone with a lighter step and a bright smile.

"God these kids," Steve murmured to himself. He huffed a happy sound and then rounded back on Charlie in the living room, tickling him where he lay. It was a little hard with one hand, but he managed just fine on the unsuspecting boy.

"Uncle Steve! _Stopstopstop_!" Charlie shrieked with laughter, legs and arms flailing wildly as he was held in place and tickled mercilessly. Steve laughed too and then raised a half-jesting finger.

"I'm going to get your brother and then it's time for lunch," Steve said. "For one I'm starving … two, get washed up. Three ... ," and Steve faked a move in Charlie's direction, earning another shout of giggles as Charlie got to his feet to dash out of the way.

"No more tickles!" Charlie laughed.

"You better listen and get washed up then, bud," Steve said. "I'll be right back!"

Leaving Charlie to do as he'd been told, Steve went out the lanai, disappointed and a bit alarmed to not find his son. He saw C.J. quickly enough though and his annoyance flared. Both boys knew better than to leave the yard for the beach and just like Charlie had warned them, C.J. hadn't listened to Grace at all.

Steve's brief flare of parental anger burst like a bubble though as he strode across the grassy lawn. His step slowed and then became more cautious. Boardies slung low on non-existent hips, C.J. was shirtless as the sun beat down on his bare back. As Steve got closer, he watched as C.J. took a deep breath, thinking no one was there at all. He kicked at an errant ripple and then scrubbed hard at his nose. On the exhale, the small shoulders trembled.

C.J. was trying not to cry and Steve shook his head worriedly as he studied the boy harder. The ever-present Captain America action figure was tucked in the fingers of C.J.'s left hand but, head bowed, he looked sadder than sad. Steve softened his entire way of thinking. Though it would come, now was certainly not the time for a major reprimand. Slowing even more, Steve sidled to the right so he'd come up behind him. With the sun on his own back, Steve would block the light. C.J. would see his shadow first and with luck, Steve might be able to surprise him.

Shoulders hunched, Steve crept closer, smiling as his shadow fell across C.J.'s back as planned. His shadow got bigger and then covered the entire swath of water the little boy was standing in. There was a surprised gasp and Steve grinned when he clocked the subtle tremor that tightened C.J.'s shoulders a moment before he realized it was _Steve's_ shadow. Then he was whirling around and giggling as Steve dropped to his knees in the shallows.

"Daddy!" C.J. signed and said out loud, laughing as he ran to hug his father.

"Where are you?" Steve gently said as he tickled C.J.'s ribs before pointing at the water and then up to the house. Half reprimand and half loving welcome, Steve pursed his lips disagreeably.

C.J.'s big eyes were on his face the entire time and his smile wavered worriedly.

"Huh? Where are you? Are you supposed to be here?" Steve pressed gently, but sternly.

'_No_.' C.J. signed while he made a grim face and then heaved in another broken breath of air. There was a hitch which Steve could feel as he held the boy against his chest. Steve sighed as he kissed the overheated cheek.

"You have to listen to Grace," Steve said and signed awkwardly with one hand. "No water."

'_I know_,' C.J. signed. Then he stared at his fingers, contrite, and apparently afraid to meet Steve's face again.

With a wry smile, Steve gently tilted C.J.'s chin up. There was no way he could be mad at the boy and besides, C.J. knew he'd been wrong. So Steve looked into the boy's uneasy eyes and smiled.

"Guess what," he said, his smile growing in leaps and bounds when C.J.'s own smile hesitantly returned. The elusive dimple reappeared and Steve couldn't help but press another kiss to his son's cheek before he very carefully explained the most important thing. The result of which wiped any remaining sadness completely out of C.J.'s eyes.

"Danno woke up. He woke up … he's going to be okay … and you can see him tomorrow."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: thanks to Phoebe who always comes through for recalcitrant muses! **

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Utterly content despite his overall lack of good health, Danny's eyes were peacefully closed as his daughter sat on the edge of his hospital bed, holding his hand.

"So Dad?" Grace asked. "When's the date?"

His sense of peace waffled as he forced his eyes partly opened, to squint upwards, his vision uncomfortably cloudy. Grace's face was nothing more than a soft dim blur of white surrounded by a darker haze made by her long hair, hanging long and loose. "Date? For what?" He pursed his lips, already knowing the answer before he managed to get his eyes opened. And when his vision did decide to sharpen, he saw the mischievous look on his favorite daughter's face.

"Uncle Steve is over the moon," she added with a coy toss of her head that sent her long hair flying over a shoulder. "Like way ... _way_ ... over the moon because you said yes." She tucked the stray strands back over an ear, her expression just as sly as it was before.

"So Dad? When's the date? I need to buy a dress."

"A dress," he said it as a statement and then tightened his lips.

"Well, yeah. Of course," Grace pushed harder and Danny raised an eyebrow despite the ache it exacerbated in his head. That ache was worth every bit; even the dull ache down his neck and into his shoulder. The crease caused by Billy Travers' bullet had been and still was deep, nicking bone and risking far too much. Danny boasted a stitch or two. Swelling and a concussion. He now knew that if the bullet had traveled just a slim thickness of a piece of paper in the wrong direction, he'd either be a vegetable or even dead. But knowing that now wasn't why he'd woken and said yes to Steve. Or maybe it had been the reason. Just maybe his subconscious had supplied him with the terror of that innate information. That he'd almost died and that he needed to say yes. But Danny hadn't expected his partner to confide this special bit of information so quickly, even to Grace.

"Uh, who else knows?" Danny asked. He couldn't help sounding petulant, even annoyed because Steven had spoken out of turn. Over the moon or not.

"Why? You're not already changing your mind, are you?" Grace challenged back loudly, instantly all over him, and Danny winced as her voice resonated inside his aching head. "You wouldn't!"

"Grace, please," Danny whispered. He made a small gesture with his free hand, asking that she take it down a few notches. "Just ... a little softer, alright?"

"Sorry!" She whispered back. "But you can't change your mind!" Her eyes had widened in alarm and now, she nearly crushed his fingers. "Because you _can't_ ... you can't and you shouldn't ... Dad, that would just be so wrong! Uncle Steve is so happy! And then there's the boys ... hell me, too."

"That damned Neanderthal," Danny griped to himself. He was suddenly overwhelmed by his daughter's shock. "No, I'm not changing my mind, Grace. It's just ... I hadn't expected him to tell anyone yet."

"Not even me?" Grace complained, instantly insulted.

"Well, no," Danny admitted. There was just so much to figure out and to take care of; so many things to consider like Grace, and the boys. Helpless to argue, Danny scrubbed idly at his head, shy of the bandage. "Maybe I should fake amnesia. Tell him I don't remember saying something like that. Cut our losses now ... I mean after all, my track record in relationships stinks. You have to admit that Gracie. Right?"

"Are you crazy?!" Grace tried to squeak quietly but failed miserably and Danny sighed around his next painful wince. "No! No way! All of this has been on mom since Jersey and Stan. Not you ... never you."

"What?" Danny blinked wondering how he'd been so unaware of Grace's level of understanding at such an early age, all the way until now. Grace rolled her eyes, easily reading his facial expressions.

"Well duh, Dad," She said heatedly. "Seriously? I was never stupid then and I sure as hell wasn't stupid when Charlie was born."

"Grace! Language!" That she was mad wasn't lost on him at all and Danny rubbed at his face again, wondering what had happened to his baby girl and when.

"I'm not sorry," Grace said. She certainly wasn't as she folded her arms across her chest, then repeated herself for impact. "I'm not." She managed to whisper but stayed adamant about her feelings. "I never told you ... I mean, I held it in all this time. But you and Uncle Steve? Yeah, it's kind of weird but kind of not and ... you two? Well, I'm over the moon, too, Danno."

"You are?" Danny whispered as his lips twitched upwards. He raised his hand to shakily push her hair away from her face where it had fallen like a soft veil. He was surprised to see the pink in her cheeks and the tears in her eyes. Not of happiness, but of sadness or maybe it was dismay and Danny wound up gently shushing her.

"Yeah, so don't do that ... don't change your mind or play games. Please, Danno?" Grace bit her lip as she tried not to cry, clearly worried and even scared that he still might.

"Nah," he promised, aiming to soothe because all of a sudden this seemed all wrong and he needed to calm her very ruffled feathers. "I'm sorry. Don't be upset." He needed to even if he couldn't figure out how they'd gotten here so damned fast.

"I said yes and I meant it."

"Good," Grace replied. "That's ... good." She took a deep breath. "You know what? You should do it now. Here. In the hospital," she said, surprising herself as words began to spill from her mouth.

"Now? H-here?" Danny stammered. "In a hospital?"

"Yeah! Just think about it!" Excited now she nodded as this idea took shape. "Here ... definitely! I ... I want to be a witness. Now before I have to get back to school; I can help plan it out. And ... Uncle Lou could be the other. He'd love it! And the boys? Ring bearers! Oh come on, Danno! Say yes! Please!"

"Grace, I don't want to get married in a hospital ...it's not decent ...and what about our friends?" Danny tried to argue but oddly the hospital setting was almost making sense. "Besides, I'm barely on my feet." He'd thought maybe he and Steve would talk more at home. Consider a date way off in the future, too. Nonetheless, Grace was rolling her eyes again towards the ceiling.

"Decent? Oh come on!? Seriously? You two spend half your time here anyway! What better place is there?" His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Grace giggled as she refused to back down. That was all just plain ... rude.

"We do not!" _Well, yeah. They kind of did, but that didn't make this a good decision even if he secretly did kind of think it funny_. He couldn't tip his hat to Grace though, so he gave an idle wave of his hand. "No, come to think of it? I DO think I have amnesia," Danny stated, this time much to Grace's delight.

"It's so romantic ... do it secretly; then have a bigger wedding. Later, on Uncle Steve's beach."

"Romance? Secrets? Who are you anyway? Grace _who_? I don't have a daughter ... if I did she wouldn't be this devious." He might as well have just agreed with her based on the size of her smile though.

"You don't have amnesia, Danno." Grace giggled again. "And I bet you like my idea ... a lot. You're the romantic at heart, not mom."

"I don't. And wait? Who's romantic?" He sputtered and then gave up because Grace was right. Still, he tried to object because this had to be all kinds of wrong. Right? "Nope. This is a terrible idea. How could you even be excited about all of this?" His lips twitched again as he fought smiling back at her. With that brief bout of sadness now gone, Grace's eyes were sparkling.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Grace laughed as she got to her feet and twirled an excited half circle. "Like I told Uncle Steve, I'd have two awesome dads."

His lips quirked again at that. Danny swallowed hard nearly choked by an unexpected lump in his throat. "Really? You're completely okay with this?"

"Really?" She scoffed back lightly. "Dad, you said yes for a reason. Besides," Grace stopped and took another deep breath, her face serious and her eyes sharp. "Dad. It would mean so much to do this now because I saw the adoption papers. You really don't want to not be C.J.'s dad, do you? I mean why just Uncle Steve's name? You're every bit his dad, too, and C.J. would just never understand anything different. And worse yet? It would mean that he and Charlie wouldn't actually be real brothers. Do you know how much that would hurt them? Do you? They'd never understand. Besides, neither would I because - you and Steve - now? It's just the right thing to do. I am completely, absolutely and perfectly fine with this. So please? Just say yes. Do it now ... here ... for all of us."

"And then later? What?" He asked. Danny had to grin as Grace's impish smile brightened her face.

"A reception. On the beach," Grace was oozing a young girl's romantic drama now. Eyes shining, she sat back down on the edge of his bed and took his hand back up. "It's perfect. A small ceremony now and then a bigger reception for everyone else ... and just think, Dad ... what if the adoption came through at the same time? Think of it ... it would be so, so big ... so amazing. We could plan it that way. Don't you think? I bet we could pull it off."

"Yeah, yeah that would be nice, Grace," Danny murmured half to himself, thinking out loud and suddenly very worried if Emily Gardner would indeed put up a fight. "But what if it takes forever for C.J.'s adoption or not at all? What if Emily says no and won't allow us to adopt C.J."

"I don't believe it. She _will_ say it's okay," Grace insisted. "She just has to. We all love C.J. but Uncle Steve and you just have to be his real dads. Charlie and I need him as our little brother and he needs us so much. He needs to believe, Danno after what that terrible man did to you ... and tried to do to that little boy. Everyone knows this has to happen for C.J.'s sake. _Everyone_. So Danno please. Just say yes. Please."

Her arguments made sense. Her refusal to say Billy Travers' name did, too. She was right about C.J. needing to believe and know how much he truly belonged. That no one could ever take him away.

"Okay, Grace," Danny said. He gripped her fingers more tightly. His not so little baby girl was right: getting married privately, now, fit his and Steve's already somewhat unexpected collision in life. A formal union would firm up the adoption and give that commitment more validation. With a shocked nod, Danny found himself saying yes again within just a few very short hours to a huge step forward in his family's growth and well-being - and feeling damned good about it - as Grace fought hard to stifle a happy shout.

**~ to be continued ~**


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_many thanks to all who are continuing to hang in there to read this story. And to Phoebe who always manages to fit my twiddles in!_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Danny roused as a kiss was pressed to his forehead, then another barely touching his lips. He'd been moved from the ICU to a regular room that morning with a projected release of just the very next day. He'd been dosing in the quieter setting. Enjoying the light streaming through the one window. But as Steve lay his hand on Danny's forearm, he inhaled deeply and then smiled as he caught a teasing freshness of sun mixed with sea-tinged saltiness. He turned his head just enough, eyes still closed to lazily return Steve's next kiss.

"You don't really want to get married in a hospital?" Steve murmured softly in Danny's ear as he pressed his lips to Danny's cheek. "Do you?" The gentle sigh of words carried the hint of a smile and Danny spoke a simple truth.

"For you I would," he whispered. "And for our boys."

"I love you, you know." Steve's voice held a happy, wistful tone and Danny opened his eyes more, his smile growing as Steve's face came into focus. "Hey." Steve added as he studied Danny with a circumspect eye. "You look better."

"Home tomorrow," Danny said with a pleased smile which became doting when Steve's face brightened with delight.

"So, no time to get married anyway," Steve chuckled, incapable of stopping himself from leaning forward to plant another kiss on the side of Dany's head.

"Well, at least not here. We'd only have time between jello cups and who wants to do that? It wouldn't be ... decent."

Steve's chuckled turned into a quiet baritone laugh. "Well, I'm all for decency, Daniel." Steve raised an eyebrow, mastering an expression that incomprehensibly was both charming and yet fraught with a devilish undercurrent.

"Are you now?" Danny grinned as Steve feathered his fingers lightly down his arm, ending at the soft juncture of his wrist. Their fingers met, gently intertwining and Danny sighed happily. "You're a goof," he whispered while he studied Steve, happy that he was feeling better and soon to go home. The longer he stared at Steve though, the more confused he became. Steve was close to his hip, sitting hunched over and slightly canted and that was ... wrong.

Danny blinked himself further awake as he tried to figure it all out. His smile quickly became a sideways frown. He refused to release Steve's hand when his partner tried to pull away. Instead, Danny tugged Steve just a bit closer for a better look.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What? Why? Me?" Steve's expression was that of pure innocence as he tried to straighten his posture and hitched midway. He cleared his throat nervously as Danny studied him from head to toe and then back again. He scowled when Danny let go of his hand only to thumb the bed higher. "Take it easy. I'm fine, Danny."

Danny hummed a distracted negative sound. A dusty memory poked at him. Snippets of sound echoed in his head. Shadows that moved too fast, revolved aimlessly in his mind's-eye. He knew these things were scattered images of what had happened after he'd been shot, but he just couldn't remember anything more.

"What's wrong to your arm or is it your shoulder? What the hell happened?" Angered by his own daftness because days had gone by and not once had he thought if Steve might have been injured, Danny poked at the remote even harder. His neck and head twinged in pain as each objected to the change in position but he needed to see. Softly complaining about his body's woes, he pointed to Steve's left arm which was loosely slung to his chest. He was sure _that_ hadn't been there before ... so just maybe ... this was a new injury? But no, that didn't compute either.

"Fine? When an appendage is fine, Steven, it's not normally strapped to one's body." Perturbed, Danny adopted a long sarcastic drawl. "Care to explain this particular accessory?"

"Travers," Steve explained tersely. Danny's expression darkened. Days had gone by and not once had he'd been made aware of Steve's injuries. Something else angered him though: the mere mention of the felon's name. Dead or not, Danny had zero interest in hearing it ever again and now saw fit to state precisely that.

"First, let's make one brand new vow, all right? That name never gets mentioned in our home ever again," Danny said.

"Fair enough," Steve concurred.

"Secondly ..." It was Danny's turn to raise an eyebrow when Steve visibly winced at the change in this tone. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Danny's ire piqued, made worse when Steve's lips twitched upwards to smile. "This isn't funny. I didn't know," Danny complained more about his own obtuseness as he eyed the sling suspiciously and the way Steve's left shoulder dipped painfully downwards. He absolutely didn't recall seeing that the day before, but then again, Danny hadn't actually been all that aware during Steve's initial visits.

"Why didn't I know?"

"Hey," Steve soothed. "You were in the ICU for a reason. You didn't know because I felt you didn't need to know ..."

"I didn't need to know!" Danny interrupted loudly. "But… Steve ...!"

"No." Steve managed to sit upright, his expression stern. "You absolutely did not need the added stress."

Danny made a face, disgruntled by the short explanation but knowing he'd not be able to make a valid point. "Fine," he groused. "But I know you weren't in a sling yesterday."

"You're right. I wasn't." Steve heaved a patient sigh as he scooped Danny's hand back up. "I tried to go without the sling for a few days. I tried to go for an easy swim to loosen things up and it's just sore."

"A light swim?" Danny shook his head in disbelief. Steve would try to swim. It was part of his DNA. However and because he was always on the move, he'd never just opt to wear something that restricted his activity - not out of the blue. He simply wasn't wired that way. Something else had to be wrong - something else clearly had to have happened - like this light swim hadn't been so light and Danny's face scrunched up. He opened his mouth to ask but Steve suddenly began to look sheepish as he fidgeted and released Danny's hand to try and adjust the wide strap which covered his shoulder. Intrigued by the change in attitude, Danny decided to wait him out.

"Well," Steve heaved out a long-suffering sigh. "I got caught coming out of the water."

"Got caught?" He slammed his mouth shut because he wanted to know by who. He had to wait this out; it was no doubt going to be a good explanation. Needless to say though, it had been the swim which aggravated Steve's injuries and it took all of Danny's internal strength to keep his mouth closed now.

"Yeah," Steve breathed out with another fidget. He glanced up into Danny's face, waiting for the anticipated rant but Danny refused to say a single word. Made more uncomfortable by this new level of silence, Steve looked at the bed next, then the window where he seemed to find an interesting cloud in the sky. Tapping at Steve's hand to get him to continue, Danny pursed his lips when their eyes met for a second time.

He bit his lip as he rotated a_ let's go_ finger in the air while forcing himself to stay silent. The half-grin that Steve gave him was a sickly one at best. Still, Danny could never have guessed what Steve was going to say next.

"Well. Like I said, I got caught coming out of the water … and Grace? She was not impressed … she made me wear this stupid thing. She made me wear the sling and she made me promise that I wouldn't take it off for the entire day."

"Grace? She caught you?" Startled by this unexpected admission, Danny snorted an inglorious nasal sound that was half laugh. Now _that_ made sense! Steve's expression was now one of hopeless embarrassment.

"She's your kid, Danno. Through and through."

**H5O* H5O**

"I'm getting Grace," Charlie said as he got up from where he'd been sitting across from C.J.

C.J. made a face and stayed where he was sitting on the floor in their bedroom. He was upset and had wanted this to be a special surprise for everyone, but he knew Charlie was right; they needed help. They needed Grace.

Hours and hours had gone by. Charlie had made lots of funny faces at him, trying to show him how his tongue worked. He'd let C.J. hold his fingers to his throat. They'd tried to use a mirror to copy each other. They had tried and tried but nothing had worked right. Charlie was getting just as upset - mad even - and he'd given up. What had started out as a fun game was hard work and he just couldn't do what C.J.'s speech therapist might do.

No matter how hard he tried, Charlie couldn't help him get it right and C.J. was desperate and on the verge of tears. As Charlie left him alone, his breathing hitched and he itched at his nose. Daddy would say to keep trying. Except this certain word was super harder and he just couldn't get his mouth or his tongue to work the right way. Charlie didn't know what to do and neither did he.

C.J. looked up when Grace came into his bedroom and immediately felt his tears welling back.

_'I can't do it,'_ he signed, lips quivering until his big sister held up her hand like a stop sign.

"Yes you can. Charlie told me and we can do it!" Grace said, beaming a beautiful smile down at him. She pointed to him and then tapped her mouth.

"Show me. Tell me what you can do, C.J. … and I'll help."

Then she dropped to her knees across from him. C.J. shrugged, unhappy and now not sure she could help him at all. Grace sat just where Charlie had been sitting for so long and held her arms out to him when he shook his head to say no, feeling sad.

_'I can't,'_ he repeated the simple sign but Grace covered his fingers with her hand and he looked into her face. She was still smiling.

"Yes you can. Give me a hug first, okay?" She said as she pulled him towards her. C.J. let himself get tucked into her arms. He knew that she was talking to him because he could feel her breathing. He didn't know what she was saying until she ducked her head down to him, her lips moving slowly and her one hand making that one special sign he'd been working so hard on trying to say out loud. Her smile was as big as ever and C.J. had to smile too.

"C.J.? I'm going to help you say _Danno_."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **_sorry for the massive stall. The muse has fled the building it seems._

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

Charlie held his arms out wide, thrilled not only to finally see his father, but to be sharing something so exciting.

"The fire was this big! And there was a fire truck … and so much _smoke_!" Charlie was half-perched on Danny's knee after giving him a huge hug and launching into the biggest explanation about the shed fire Danny had ever heard. "But Uncle Steve said the special car was okay and we're gonna get a new shed."

"Fire? We had a fire?" It was out of his mouth before he had a chance to think and stop it and Danny winced when he heard the soft curse from off to the side. Steve was there of course, helping Grace settle the boys down now that she'd driven them all back to the hospital for a short visit. They were so excited to finally see him though, getting a word in edgewise was impossible.

"Fire? Where … the shed? What …what fire?" Danno repeated the question and then blinked, stunned as Charlie nodded like a crazed bobble-head doll.

"Charlie!" Steve called out but Charlie was on a roll. He'd squirmed off his father's lap now and was practically on his tippy toes.

"Ginormous!" He bounced in the air and made an even grander arc with his ams. "Huge!"

"It was so big! Fire trucks and everything!" Charlie oozed excitement but Steve was flashing Danny an odd look. An expression that made Danny do a double-take and he frowned because this was concerning. Apparently Danny had known about the fire at one time or another. Right then though, Danny was drawing a complete and absolute blank on that particular memory.

_'Big fire!'_ C.J. agreed, not using proper sign language at all but opting to copy Charlie's tippy-toes, half jump in the room while wiggling his fingers up and down like small flames. The finger sign for _fire truck_ followed, so exuberant that C.J. nearly knocked Charlie in the face with his fist.

"C.J!" Steve was exasperated as he tried to intercept both kids while Grace just stood there, arms crossed, smiling. Hampered by the sling, Steve was no match for the two hyper boys and Danny had to laugh. Grace wasn't making a move to help her uncle as a type of penance for having gone swimming against doctor's orders.

"Charlie, C.J. slow down," Grace finally helped to rein them in. "Start at the beginning! Dad, it's fine." She added for her father's sake as her little brother ignored her only to pick up steam.

"A tractor had to come and smash it up. But Uncle Steve said the special car was okay and we're gonna get a new shed," Charlie added.

"Boys!" Steve groaned out the mild reprimand as the two bumped off each other, giggling loudly.

"They're fine," Danny chuckled at Steve's one-armed dilemma and despite his confusion about not being able to remember that event. "Is the car really okay?" It dawned on him then that the old Marquis was likely destroyed if the fire was as big as Charlie made it out to be.

Steve made a face and then sighed in defeat. "Yes and no. It's a little smokey and … wet. We need a new shed."

Danny made a displeased noise in the back of his throat. He smiled apologetically to his partner. While the shed was a goner, the Marquis at least was salvageable. Though whatever the fire hadn't damaged, then the firemens' hoses had completed. At least the thing was insured.

"Grace? What's up with C.J.?" Danny looked from Steve to his daughter at Steve's confused question. C.J. had gone to his sister's side and was suddenly shyly peeking out at everyone from behind her body.

"C.J. has a surprise for you," Grace explained. "He's been working on it for hours …"

"Hours!" Charlie shouted with a laugh._ "For ... ev ... er!"_

"Charlie, calm down," Grace scolded lightly and much to Steve's bewilderment and Danny's amusement, the boy did, though he was vibrating with excitement. "But yeah, Charlie and C.J. had been working on a surprise for Danno. They needed some help so I stepped in and well … C.J. has something really special to tell dad."

Danny should have realized what Grace was implying but with his still achy head, he only chuckled from where he was sitting in the hospital room's recliner. The little boy only got clingy and shy like this when he was screwing up his courage to ask for something or make some kind of announcement. This seemed a little different though. Plus, the fact that his son was still giggling softly as if he were in on whatever this surprise was didn't go unnoticed either. All three kids were in cahoots.

Danny smiled as Grace leaned over to get C.J.'s attention. Her long brown hair fell forward to cover part of her face. C.J. couldn't help reaching out to touch it, his fingers gently tangling in a few strands as a way to gain some bravery. C.J. was nervous but gazing up at his sister with all kinds of trust and Danny could just selfishly wallow in the picture they made.

"C.J.?" Grace both said and signed when her little brother looked up at her. "Go ahead … now's the time."

Another something exchanged between all three kids and Danny raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"What's going on?" Danny asked as he glanced at Steve in askance. However, it was equally clear that Steve was in the dark.

"I honestly don't know," Steve said. "I'm in enough trouble as it is."

His teasing look aimed at Grace was met with a not so patient toe-tap which meant she was keeping an eye on him. "What? I haven't taken it off!" Steve said innocently and Danny chuckled as his partner made a face and tried to tuck himself nonchalantly up against the far wall.

"Better not," Grace warned him much to Danny's amusement as Steve wrapped his good arm protectively over his bad. She stopped though, all about C.J. when he tugged at her hand, interrupting the brief discussion.

_'Now?'_ He signed and Grace nodded, her smile back in an instant.

"Now," she confirmed. "Now! Go ahead!"

"C.J. has something to _saaaaay_," Charlie sing-songed with a giggle, followed by an overly dramatic eye roll. "I wish he'd hurry up. I'm hungry. Can we eat next?"

"Oh my God," Steve muttered into his fist. "Grace what did you feed these guys for breakfast?"

Grace laughed and then shrugged no so apologetically. "Pancakes like dad makes … chocolate chip and banana."

"I missed pancakes?" Steve sniffed sadly. "That's just ... wrong." With a laugh, it was Grace's turn to roll her eyes, but now she was gently piloting C.J. towards Danny.

"Go ahead," she prodded her brother, prompting Danny to hold his arms in encouragement when C.J.'s feet seemed to get stuck and he glanced back up to Grace looking for reassurance.

"Come on. What did you want to tell me?" Danny asked. His smile as shy as ever, C.J. stepped forward. Step by step until he was at Danny's knee and then just standing there looking a bit uncertain.

"C.J?" Danny asked again as C.J's fingers twitched and Danny watched the little hands thinking he had to find something to say to prompt the boy again until Grace breathed out his name and a quiet warning.

"Wait. Dad, give him a chance," she murmured so softly, Danny barely heard the words. "He's been working so hard to get this right."

C.J.'s shoulders moved as he sucked in a big breath of air. He looked over his shoulder to Grace as if he still wasn't sure but she only gave him a thumbs up. He fidgeted again and looked back into Danny's face and opened his mouth, his brow knit in concentration. His fingers on his right hand reflexively seemed to spell his name but, startled, Danny quickly realized what was going on. Eyes wide, Danny leaned forward in astonishment, ignoring the achy pull in his neck, taking the little boy's hands in his own at the very same time C.J. very carefully said his name out loud.

"Dan-no," C.J. voiced proudly until his tiny level of confidence shifted. Nervous, he glanced back over his shoulder once more towards Grace, clearly making sure that he'd gotten it right and she nodded her approval.

"Perfect," she encouraged him. She pointed to Danny. "Say it again, okay? Tell Danno."

"Dan-no." He tapped his chest and took a deep breath. "My Dan-no," C.J. said out loud, getting more brave when Danny planted a proud, teary-eyed kiss on his forehead.

"That's so, so good, buddy," Danny whispered as he gently ran his fingers through C.J.'s brown hair. "What a wonderful get well gift."

Thrilled with himself, C.J. grinned and then pointed towards Grace.

_'Grace helped,'_ C.J. signed fast and then he raised both his hands over his head, fingers wide to pump them twice up in the air while looking at his sister. The finger sign was big and dramatic and Danny chuckled at Grace's confused expression.

"What?" Grace asked. "I got my name … but what's that?"

"He said you were awesome," Steve translated for her as Danny laughed out loud when she blushed. "You are incredibly, absolutely and amazingly awesome."

"He didn't say all that," Grace objected crossly. She cocked her head at Steve and then narrowed her eyes in warning. "Don't try to weasel out of your illegal swim, Uncle Steve."

"Me? I'd never do that," Steve opted for innocence as Danny laughed even harder.

"No. You? Never," Danny drawled sarcastically. "You're the picture of model behavior."

"Poster boy," Steve drawled, his gaze now fond as Danny fought a spike of emotion and tried to nonchalantly swipe at his eyes. Steve knew what he was feeling down to the way his chest was tightening up with all kinds of love for their family.

"Oh you're a poster child alright," Danny corrected him with an evil glint to his eye. "A poster child for what _not_ to behave like."

"Oh come on. You love it and you know it!" Steve waggled a meaningful eyebrow at him. "You love me."

"I don't!" Danny said as he cleared his throat uncomfortably. He glared at his partner with a _not now _look which made Steve laugh out loud until Grace chimed in, making Steve blush.

"Seriously? Now? You're worse than the two six year olds," Grace interrupted, her eyes large and knowing. Cutting them off before the innuendo could go any further. "Besides we got a date to firm up and I'm not going to let that go."

"Yeah," Steve grinned, his blush deepening as he caught Danny's eye. "We do have a date to firm up. A really special date ... soon."

"We do," Danny concurred, feeling his face grow warm about their pending marriage. Then after, squaring away C.J.'s formal adoption. So really, there would be two very important dates to coordinate and Danny felt that warmth spread to his heart. "Yes ... we sure do."

As Grace controlled a very pleased laugh, Danny turned back towards C.J. who was definitely failing in keeping up as much as Charlie also was. In fact, Charlie was fast growing bored with the adults now that C.J. had done his big reveal and becoming fidgety based on his heavy, repetitive sighing.

"I'm still hungry," Charlie muttered softly. "Starving …gonna starve to pieces." He toed the linoleum floor, bored and antsy.

"You are not," Grace quietly reprimanded him off to the side. Danny heard the soft murmur of conversation with Steve chiming in, but was once more rapt by C.J.'s accomplishments. He smiled as C.J. tapped his chest and took another deep breath.

"Dan-no," C.J. repeated much to Danny's ongoing delight. "My ... Dan-no."

When C.J. had verbally conquered _daddy_ for Steve, Danny had been over the moon. That had been plenty good enough for him and not once had he thought about himself. Not once. But Danny had secretly craved this; he needed it now, and he loved to hear his name, too, spoken from C.J.'s lips.

"That's my boy," he whispered to C.J. as he planted a kiss on the top of his head. "I'm so proud of you."

Beaming, C.J. kissed him back on the cheek and then turned in the circle of Danny's arms to face Steve. With one hand wrapped in Danny's hospital gown, C.J. pointed up towards his father.

"My Daddy … 'n Danno."

"Ah geez," Steve grinned happily as he beamed down at C.J. and bussed an unexpectedly large kiss to the side of Charlie's head much to the boy's dramatic complaining.

"Uncle Steve! No more kisses! _Yuck_!" Charlie grouched as he scrubbed at his face. With a plea that made them all laugh, he folded his arms across his chest, now scowling in disgust.

"Can we _please_ go eat now?"

_**~ to be continued ~**_


End file.
